


Road to Redemption

by Shi_Daisy



Series: Roads Series [2]
Category: Bleach
Genre: AU, Action, Anti cannon, Drama, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, M/M, Multi, Non cannon - Freeform, Original Characters - Freeform, War, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-08
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-05-19 22:29:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 22
Words: 96,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14882420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shi_Daisy/pseuds/Shi_Daisy
Summary: Orihime decided she would no longer be the weak one, proving her worth in Hueco Mundo. Moreover, she also decided to show mercy to one of her enemies. After the war with Aizen is won, Orihime takes responsibility for the surviving arrancars. Unbeknownst to her, this newfound friendship with her old enemies might be the key to defeating a great threat to the Soul Society.





	1. Awaken the Warrior

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everybody! I'd like to clear up a few things before you begin reading. This fanfic completely disregards the cannon storyline from the fight with Ulquiorra onwards. Many things remained as they did on cannon but there are plenty of changes, such as characters being brought back, changes in story, new characters and the omission of both the Fullbring Arc and the Blood War Arc. I hope you enjoy, and thanks for reading!
> 
> © Bleach and it's characters don't belong to me, They belong to Tite Kubo and Shonen Jump.

**Chapter 1: Awaken the Warrior**

There was blood everywhere.

Orihime gasped as she ran towards Ichigo's lifeless body. A hole was gaping at his chest, dripping crimson into the white sand, his eyes were empty staring into nothingness, and his spiritual pressure was almost completely gone.

For a moment she couldn't breathe. 'This can't be happening' 'It can't!' 'Kurosaki-kun...Kurosaki-kun...'

Ulquiorra suddenly appeared in front of her. Orihime stared at the pale Espada standing between her and Ichigo's bleeding body. It was mesmerizing to see that eyes never showed any emotion, especially when she was crumbling to pieces under his stare.

"It is useless, even if you could reach him it would be wasted effort on your part." His monotone voice was dripping with venom. "Your powers are not nearly strong enough to keep him alive."

'No' she told herself. 'You can't let that stop you.' The way he said those words made their weight all the heavier. Her mind drifted to all those times she was told she was weak, told to step aside. They were always protecting her. And she had let them. But where did that get them?

"Inoue-San!" Ishida's voice snapped her back to reality. She could see her Quincy friend shooting arrows at Ulquiorra. As the Arrancar dodged the attack she took the opportunity to run towards Ichigo.

"Soten Kisshun, I reject!" The glow of the Shun Shun Rikka soon fell upon Ichigo. As she got closer Orihime noticed there wasn't any change in his injuries. 'No! I know you're still there! Wake up Kurosaki-kun!'' Orihime's hands trembled as she tried to pour more of her power into Ichigo.

"Kurosaki-kun please wake up!" She sobbed. It wasn't until Ishida came back that she realized she was crying.  
"Ishida-kun."

"Don't worry about me Inoue. Tend to Kurosaki's injuries."

Ulquiorra returned soon after. Ishida ram towards Ulquiorra, evading the attacks the latter threw at him. After he had closed their distance Ulquiorra took the opportunity to hit him with his tail. After two more attacks, Ishida was immobilized.

Despite telling her to concentrate on Ichigo Orihime couldn't leave Ishida unprotected. "Santen Kesshun, I reject!"

Her shield didn't last more than a few seconds before Ulquiorra broke it with his tail. Before she could react Ulquiorra attacked again, just with his tail he tore a gash in Ishida's chest. Blood squirted from the wound staining the Quincy's white uniform.

"Ishida-kun!" A new wave of panic set over Orihime. Now both her friends were gravely injured. "Soten Kisshun, I reject!"

When her light enveloped Ishida she realized his injury was worse than she thought. She glanced back at Ichigo. His spiritual pressure was completely gone. Tentatively she held his hand, it was icy cold. 'Please, Ichigo please hold on! We need you! I need you! You can't...'

"You can't be gone!" she screamed.

Ulquiorra appeared before her once again. She didn't care, all she could do was hope her power could finally break through and save her friends.

"Do you not understand? It is over woman. Succumb to despair. The one who you entrusted all your hope to, is dead."

Dead. The word echoed in her head like a curse. It was over. Without Ichigo the war was lost. They won.

'Orihime! Orihime! Can you hear me?!' A familiar deep voice spoke to her tired mind.

"Tsubaki." She whispered.

'Yes. It's me. Took you long enough to hear me you airhead!'

Her friend's playful teasing relaxed her for a moment. Tsubaki was back to full health finally. 'Why are you talking to me now?' she thought.

'Because you need us now more than ever. I know you're scared. We all are, yet we can't just stay here and hope the others wake up. You are the only one who can save them now.'

Only she remained. Only she could stop this. If she failed at least she'd go down with a fight. She stood up, staring straight into Ulquiorra's emerald eyes. "I shall not give in to despair. You'll have to kill me before that."

The Espada scoffed. "Very well. Then I shall show you the true hopelessness of your situation" Ulquiorra created another spear and prepared to fight. "Whenever you're ready woman."

'Ayame, Shun'o listen to me, your only concern now is healing the boys. Take all the time and energy you need. Don't worry about me, whatever it's that you see hear or feel, do not abandon Kurosaki-Kun or Ishida-kun.

Hinagiku, Lily, Baigon. I'll need you with me, please be ready when I call for you.

Tsubaki I know we've had our differences, but we need to be in synch today. I want you to be as ruthless as possible. Is everyone clear? We cannot fail!'

'Yes Orihime-Sama! We're here for you!' They all answered in unison.

'I believe in you. Now let's go, everybody!'

Orihime felt her hairpins get warmer. They were glowing gold, getting brighter by the second. A rush of power was flowing through her consuming every part of her body. The light from the pins was soothing, it relaxed Orihime as she began running towards her opponent.

Her heartbeat raced as she got closer to Ulquiorra. His expression didn't change, even after what he had witnessed. 'Does he ever show any emotion?' she wondered as she prepared to attack.

"Koten Zanshun, I reject!"

"You're going to use that technique? Yammy shattered before. What makes you think this time it'll be any different." Ulquiorra extended his hand and grabbed it, ready to crush the yellow flash to bits.

To his surprise, the attack didn't shatter under his grip. The small flash managed to actually cut him, it wasn't a big wound but it was deep enough to spill blood. Ulquiorra didn't flinch, his eyes only widened slightly.

"Interesting. It seems your power has increased."

Orihime sighed in relief. Perhaps she couldn't deal as much damage as Ichigo, but at least she cut through Ulquiorra's hierro skin.

"I told you I won't go down without a fight!"

"You will soon come to regret that." Ulquiorra responded. He threw his spear at her, certain that he would not miss.

Orihime bearly had time to react as the green spear drew closer. "Santen Kesshun, I reject!" Her shield surrounded her like a bubble. The spear crashed against it sending Orihime tumbling backward, the bubble however, remained intact.

'How can this be? Just a few months ago they broke Tsubaki and my shields and now...'

She shook her head. It wasn't time to dwell on this. All that mattered was the safety of her friends. She glanced at both Ichigo and Uryu. Only Uryu's injuries were healing properly.

As if reading her mind Ulquiorra appeared before her. "Kurosaki Ichigo will not heal. I've already told you. He's dead."

She frowned. "I don't care! I believe in Kurosaki-kun and he's always been able to come back from death's door! So I'll just fight until then!"

For a split second, she thought anger had crossed Ulquiorra's eyes. "Can't you understand! It is hopeless for you to continue fighting!" He created another spear, reading himself to crush Orihime's shield.

The words came to her in a daze, yet she knew she could trust them. They had come from her friends. "Shiten Koshun, I reject!" As she recited the incantation the spear collided with her shield. Instead of breaking it, the shield reflected it's attack back at Ulquiorra. The Espada turned back, easily evading the attack.

'It worked.' Orihime drew back her shields, it was time for her to take the offense. Once again the words were drawn him her mind. She hesitated, for this was technique she wasn't the least bit familiar with.

'It'll be okay. Just trust us.' they whispered to her.

'I do trust you. It's myself I don't trust.'

Still, she knew what had to be done. "Megami no Ha, I reject!"

Just as she finished the incantation Orihime felt its effects. A long blade appeared in her hand. It was golden and sparkly with a hilt resembling her hairpins.

"I know you're not proficient with a sword. Aizen-Sama himself told us about your strengths and your limitations. You cannot win."

"Why do you keep saying that?! Why do you want me to give up so badly?!"

"It is the nature of all things. In the end, there is only emptiness. No matter how hard you try to beat me, you and your friends will perish here. That hope you speak of so ardently will soon vanish. Then you'll finally understand."

So that was it. He wanted her to see things the way he did. He had been trying to break her since she came here, but instead, she'd been the one breaking through his walls. This wasn't the same Espada that asked her to come to Hueco Mundo. She could see the subtle changes. The way he was slowly becoming more human.

"You...you think everything is meaningless. That isn't true. There's an infinite number of meaningful things to live for, to fight for and to die for. I'm sorry Ulquiorra. I cannot think the way you do. Maybe you cannot understand me either, but I want you to know that I don't see you as my enemy."

If she had blinked she would've missed it. Ulquiorra's features finally showed a flicker of emotion. She couldn't quite pin down what it was. He looked sadder than before, but his eyes glimmered dangerously too.

He didn't say anything, yet Orihime could tell he wasn't going to stop fighting. It made her heart ache to see how far he was willing to go. 'I wish it wasn't this way. I'm so sorry.'

She tried to remember the few times she'd see Tatsuki practicing kendo. The way to hold a sword, how to swing and how to block.

When the first strike came she almost lost balance. Blocking Ulquiorra's attacks was near impossible. After a few strikes, he got to her, slashing her right arm slightly before she could retreat.

The wound burned slightly, like a jellyfish sting. Still, she was surprised her arm was still attached to her body. 'He's going easy on me. I can hold out like this, but if he fights me at full power I'm done for.'

Her hands were wrapped so tightly around the hilt of her sword they began bleeding. Orihime ignored the pain and kept trying to slash Ulquiorra. He elegantly evaded all her attacks.

Just as she was growing tired Orihime felt her whole body tense. Something was tying her up.

'It can't be...'

Ulquiorra had her tied up with his tail. His features were back to their usual state of indifference. "I think it's time we end this." He said with a spear in hand.

Orihime closed her eyes and waited for the end. Even faced with death she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of falling into despair.

She waited for the end, yet it didn't come. As her eyes opened she realized that what Ulquiorra was planning was not her death, but it was too late.

Before she could try to stop him. His spear was already soaring across the sky. The only thing she could do was scream as the spear hit Ichigo. The shield was instantly shattered and all she could see was smoke.

'He tricked me. I lowered my guard and...now I cannot feel his pressure at all.'

"Kurosaki-kun!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. As if he could hear her, but she knew better.

"I believe I told you it was useless. Now, do you understand woman?"

Orihime could not speak. Her whole body felt cold, tears were dripping down her cheeks. There was no excuse this time. She had fought but Ulquiorra had outsmarted her.

She turned to look at him. Same expression as always. Before she could try to speak again the ground began shaking.

Both of them felt a strange overwhelming pressure nearby. Orihime felt her heart drop to the floor as she saw Ichigo. Only it wasn't truly him. He looked just like a hollow, if it hadn't been for his hair she wouldn't be able to tell it was him.

"So he's finally at full power." Ulquiorra observed.

The Hollow fired a cero at Ulquiorra and Orihime. Ulquiorra managed to evade the attack, he gently let go of her and headed back to the battle.

"Inoue-San!"

Orihime saw her friend fully healed waving to her. She ran towards Ishida and hugged him as soon as she saw him. "I'm so glad you're ok! Are you hurt? Do I need to heal anything else?"

"No. I'm fine. Thanks for the help. Where's Kurosaki?"

Orihime bit her lip. "To be honest I'm not sure what I should tell you. I think that's Kurosaki-kun over there."

She pointed towards Ichigo, still in his hollow form. Ishida gasped. "It can't be! That's Kurosaki?"

"I think so."

The two watched as Ulquiorra and Ichigo fought. Orihime couldn't help but fear this new form of Ichigo's. He had control over his mask before. Now he was being utterly ruthless.

Ichigo emerged the victor as he finally defeated Ulquiorra. Orihime felt a wave of relief wash over her, along with a deep sadness she couldn't explain.

Just as everything seemed to be finally over. Ichigo grabbed his zanpakuto headed towards Ulquiorra's body.

'What is he? No... Kurosaki-kun isn't like this.'

Just as she began to run towards him she noticed Ishida was already there holding Ichigo's arm back.

"Let it go Kurosaki. You've won the battle. There's no need to desecrate his body."

Ichigo still lowered the sword.

"Didn't you hear me?! I said let it go!"

By now Ichigo's arm was shaking.

"If you do this you will not be human again!"

Just as she came close to them Orihime saw the moment Ichigo's sword pierced Ishida's chest.

"Ishida-kun!" Orihime ran towards him as fast as possible. "Soten Kisshun, I reject!" The light enveloped Ishida once again. He gazed at Orihime and muttered a thank you.

As she was about to reach him Ichigo got in her way. A mere glance was enough to tell her his humanity was completely gone.

"Kurosaki-kun please let me through I need to help Ishida-kun!"

Instead of answering Ichigo growled. A red glow coming from his horns.

This time she didn't bother trying to reason with him. "Santen Kesshun, I reject!" She made sure to shield both herself and Ishida.

"Orihime run!" Ishida screamed at her.

I'm not going to run. It's my fault he's like this. I need to stop him.'

"Megami no Ha, I reject!" When the golden blade reappeared in her hands Orihime swung it as hard as she could, trying to get a direct hit on Ichigo's mask.

A cold chill went down her spine when Ichigo caught the golden blade and shattered it to dust. He then proceeded to shatter the shield and wrap his hand around her neck.

"I-chi-go!" Orihime choked on the words as Ichigo lifted her up, his horns glowing red yet again.

Just as he was about to fire, Orihime noticed Ulquiorra sneaking up behind Ichigo, cutting off his horn before he could fire the cero.

Everything else felt like a blur. When she fell backward, when ran towards Ishida, when she took out Ichigo's sword out of the wound. The only thing she could see was Ichigo's mask had cracked.

"Is he back to normal?" Uryu asked.

"I don't know," she answered. Her voice was raspy and she was dragging out the words.

Orihime stood and walked towards Ichigo. The moment he looked at her she froze.

"Inoue?" His voice sounded as it always had, but Orihime still doubted.

Ichigo's eyes scanned the perimeter. He saw blood all over the sand, and an injured Ishida being healed by Soten Kisshun. The most terrifying sight, however, was the hand-shaped red mark he saw on Orihime's neck. She also had three smaller scars that gushed out tiny crimson drops.

"Did I...Did I do this?"

His expression was heartbreaking. A mix of fear and self-loathing present in his eyes.

"Yes." As much as she didn't want to upset him further, Orihime simply told him the truth. "I took care of Ishida-kun. You don't need to worry."

"Kurosaki Ichigo. It's time we end our battle."

Both of them were startled by the sound of Ulquiorra's voice. He threw Ichigo's sword at him. "Now, pick up your sword."

Ichigo didn't seem to be listening. He stared blankly at Ulquiorra who had lost an arm and had a completely wrecked leg.

"No. I can't fight you like this. If we are going to fight you'll have to cut off my arm and leg!"

Orihime almost screamed when she heard those words. Was he crazy?!

"Have you lost your mind?" Even Ulquiorra seemed slightly surprised by the suggestion.

"Don't you get it. If I beat you like this. It won't be fair. This isn't the way I wanted to win!"

"If you won't attack then I will." Before he could act on his words Ulquiorra felt his wings dissolving into ashes. He merely scoffed at the sight. "How troublesome."

Again he turned to Ichigo. "Kill me, Kurosaki Ichigo. Do it now."

"No!"

"If you don't kill me our duel will remain unfinished. I don't even have the strength to walk."

"I cannot kill you."

Ulquiorra sighed. "Even at the very end you just won't do what I want."

Orihime was suddenly beckoned to gaze at the Espada. Despite everything that he had done she didn't want to see him die.

He returned her gaze. "It's quite a pity, just as I was becoming a little more intrigued with the way you people behaved."

She could tell it was true. During their fight, she had seen it. His neverending curiosity towards humans, it was perhaps the reason he disliked them. He could not understand. Only now he was beginning to see it clearly.

He stretched his remaining arm towards her. "Do I frighten you, woman?"

The same question he had asked her back at the throne hall. The same glimmer in his eyes. It was all too much for her to handle.

"No. I'm not afraid."

"I see..."

She reached out to him. Trying to hold his hand, but just as she finally touched him his fingers turned to ash.

'No. I won't let you die.' That was the only thought rushing through Orihime's mind as she decided to save her jailer.


	2. New Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope you all have enjoyed the last chapter. From now onwards there'll be a little more deviation in the story. Also, there's a lot of Ulquihime in this chapter so be ready my dear shippers!

©Bleach and it's characters don't belong to me, they belong to Tire Kubo and Shonen Jump. The fanart is also not mine.

**Chapter 2: New Life**

Just as she did during the fight Orihime could hear the voices of her Shun Shun Rikka telling her what to do. She'd have to recite a new incantation, her power might not be enough but she wouldn't forgive herself if she didn't even try. She didn't think about anyone or anything else around her. She only ran towards a fading Ulquiorra, pouring every once of her power into what she was going to do. Without a warning she wrapped her arms around him. The Espada stared in disbelief at her actions. The two of them were about to fall.

"Turn back the sands of time and heal what had been broken. Don't let him go with so many words unspoken. With this heart I seal my vow to protect. Soten Kisshun, I reject!"

The ground began shaking again, still she would not let go. Around them there was only a warm golden light. It shone so brightly that her eyes were tearing up. Orihime could see her power was working, restoring Ulquiorra's broken limbs. She also saw small flash of red, it looked like a silk ribbon

'How strange' she thought. Her mind was growing hazy, using all of her power had left her exhausted. Before blacking out she heard a familiar voice.

"Woman!" Ulquiorra was still holding her. His voice wasn't as as icy as before, it sounded desperate.

She smiled at him sweetly. "Welcome back..." It was all she managed to say before darkness took over.

***

Orihime awoke in pale hospital room. A white light shine above her, flickering every once in a while.

"Oh good you're awake!" Liutenant Kotetsu's voice startled her. "You're in the Squad 4 barracks. Your friend brought us all back."

"Friend?" Before Isane could answer Orihime felt a cold hand wrapped around her own. When she glanced at to her side she saw Ulquiorra. He was sitting beside her bed, sleeping soundly in his chair. For the first time since they were at the canopy Orihime could look at him clearly. His skin and marks remained the same, but his hollow mask was completely absent.

"You should've seen him! He scared me and Hanataro to death when he dropped out of the sky with you in his arms. He asked us to heal you but we didn't have the supplies, so we had to relocate. He didn't want to move an inch away from you until you were fully healed."

Orihime felt her cheeks grow red. "I think he was just trying to repay me. I saved him back at the top of Hueco Mundo."

"Yes. We are all caught up. Captain Kurotsuchi found Aizen's surveillance room. There was footage of everything that happened... Inoue-San I think you deserve to know before they come."

"Who's coming?"

"Head Captain Yamamoto has requested to meet with you and your Arrancar friend. Apparently Captain Kurotsuchi told him about your deed. He wants to talk to the both of you as soon as he's done with Ichimaru."

Orihime's face lost all color. How she have been so blind? Just because she saved Ulquiorra it didn't mean he'd be forgiven. She didn't want to think about what they do to him. All because of her. "...Is it over? The war I mean."

Isane nodded. "Kurosaki has won. He's back at the human world. Soon you'll be able to see him."

Orihime tried to hide her sadness. 'They left me behind yet again.' It didn't matter of course. They won the battle without her. They always did, why would this one be any different?

"I'll let you get some rest." Isane stood up and headed towards the door.

"Thank you Kotetsu-San."

Once the lieutenant left, an empty silence took hold of the room. Orihime's mind was a mess by this point. What were they going to do to Ulquiorra? It was her fault he was still alive so if anything she should be the one punished. Still, that didn't ensure his safety either.

"Woman?" His voice made her feel even sadder. "Why do you weep?" She realized she was crying again. Lately all she did was cry and she was tired of it.

"I'm sorry Ulquiorra. All I wanted was for you to live, but it seems I can't even get that right! I'm so sorry."

"I think you're the only person would ever apologize for saving someone's life." He was still holding onto her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I was ready to die the moment Kurosaki fired that cero at me. I'm aware of what bringing you here would entitle, and I'm willing to face the consequences. You breathed new life into me, and whether it is a short or a long life I shall be forever grateful. Thank you woman." Words wouldn't come, neither would the tears. Orihime just wrapped her arms around him, one on his back the other on his onyx hair. "I won't let go without a fight."

"I wouldn't expect any less from you."

The door creaked open once again. This time liutenant Sasakibe was there, accompanied by two soldiers.

'Talk about bad timing.' She thought.

Nobody had to tell them anything. Both Orihime and Ulquiorra walked away with the group towards Squad 1. She didn't know at what point did she and Ulquiorra stared holding hands again. She didn't let go, right now he was all she had left to hold on to.

Soon they were both standing before Head Captain Yamamoto. He motioned for his soldiers to leave, only his liutenant remained.

She decided not speak until she was told to. Fear must've been showing because she started gripping Ulquiorra's a bit harder. The Espada didn't flinch, he continued to hold her hand calmly.

"Orihime Inoue. I suspect you know why I've brought you here."

"Yes, head Captain Yamamoto." Even her voice was cracking.

"Then you must have an explanation for your actions." The head Captain's voice was stern and icy.

Orihime nodded. "If you are referring to the my departure to Hueco Mundo I did that in a moment of desperation, my friends were put in danger so I acted rashly. No one can make me apologize for it, because I don't regret it. I wasn't expecting to be rescued."

She paused, waiting for an answer. When it didn't come she continued. "If you're referring to the fact that I brought an Espada back to life then you won't get me to apologize for that either. I stand by what I did for him. What I'd do for the others. Aizen used them like pawns, and they didn't deserve what happened to them. I stand for their defense. No matter what consequences you think I deserve."

"You're strange one, aren't you?" The head Captain stood. "Very well, If you are so fiercely devoted to the arrancars then I'm willing to offer you a deal."

"What type of deal?" She wasn't liking the tone of his words, but whatever it was she would do it.

"Now that Souske Aizen had been sentenced to Oken he has no hold over the arrancars. If you really have that much faith in them, you shall be their new guardian. Whatever they do from today onwards you'll be directly responsible. Should you refuse we shall exterminate them all."

"I accept." She didn't even need to think about it for a second.

"There's something else. The strongest surviving arrancar shall reside with you at Karakura. If not our deal is not valid."

"My answer it's still yes."

"Then you are dismissed."

Once they were out of Squad 1 barracks Orihime let out a sigh of relief. She was close to falling over.

"You handled that very well." Ulquiorra told her.

"Thanks. I think I had an adrenaline rush, there's no way I could've talked to the head Captain like that under normal circumstances." She smiled. "I'm glad you're safe. How about we go back and tell the others?"

"Sounds good."

When they were out of the Seireitei Ulquiorra opened up a garganta. Orihime felt a sense of deja vu. A month ago she had been in the same position, leaving for Hueco Mundo with Ulquiorra, but now everything had changed. She wasn't even sure she was still the same person.

"Woman?"

"Oh sorry. I got distracted. Let's get going."

***  
They arrived in Las Noches in the blink of an eye. Someone was already waiting for them.

A female arrancar with a blue mohawk was standing by the entrance. She had tan skin and a choker made out of her hollow remains.

"Cuarto! I'm glad you made it back safely." She smiled sweetly at Ulquiorra, then she noticed Orihime. "You must be Inoue Orihime. I'm arrancar 42, Jeanne Dae at your service."

"Nice to meet you Jeanne-San."

"We need to talk to the others urgently. How many survived?"

"Loly and Menoly are alive but out cold. I locked them up in the third floor just in case. Gantenbainne is alive too. He's guarding the medical wing. Nnoitra and Tesla are sleeping, but stable. I think Halibel might not make it."

"Tercera came back?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Yes, however she's gravely injured. All of her fraccion have 3nd degree burns that might worsen overnight."

"Where is the medical wing?" Orihime cut in.

"I'll take you there." Jeanne began walking and the pair quickly followed.

When they arrived Orihime could only smell smoke and blood in the room.  
Halibel was out cold in her bed. She had already been bandaged but her bedsheets were stained with blood. Beside her three women with burns were sitting, holding on to her hand.

"Inoue-San!" One of the women addressed her. She had blue hair and her eyes were mismatched.

"Hello. Could you ladies please stay still? I'm going to heal you."

"Please, heal Halibel-Sama first. We'll wait." A green haired arrancar answered.

Orihime nodded. "I'll heal you all at the same time."

'Ayame. Shun'o, Do you guys have enough energy?'

'We're fine! We'll help you heal everyone. Just relax. We've got your back!'

'Thanks guys.'

"Soten Kisshun, I reject!" The entire room was filled with yellow light. In a minute everyone had been fully healed.

"How do you feel?"

"As if it never happened." The green hair girl smiled. "Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome. Listen girls could you all come to the throne room once Halibel-Sama awakes. Bring Nnoitra and Tesla too."

"Yes of course. We'll be there shortly."

***  
"So you agreed to take responsibility for our actions? That's very brave of you Inoue-San." Halibel sat at the head of the table, the rest of the arrancar were also there. All eyes were on Orihime.

"I'll be honest I'm not sure it was an act of bravery. I just really didn't want you all to be damned for Aizen's actions."

"With or without Aizen we are damned, but that was pretty badass of you Pet-Sama. Gotta say you looking pretty good right now." Nnoitra licked his lips.

Ulquiorra and Halibel both shot him a glare. "Keep talking Nnoitra and I'll remove your favorite organ, small as it is."

"Tch. You're a moody one. Good thing you're leaving with her."

"Actually I am not."

"The shinigami specifically said the strongest surviving arrancar had to stay with Orihime." Ulquiorra spoke. "You're the strongest out of us."

"I am not. You have a second release that none of us have mastered. You also stood on equal footing with Kurosaki Ichigo. Discarding our numbers you'd technically be the strongest arrancar."

Ulquiorra remained silent for a moment. "If that's the case I'll depart with the woman as soon as possible."

Halibel stood. "Then this meeting is over. I expect everyone to behave according, otherwise they'll be serious consequences. Should any other survivors show up point them directly to me. That is all."

The arrancars left the room just as Halibel dismissed them. She walked over to Orihime and placed her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"I shall make sure they don't do anything reckless. You don't need to worry. Thanks for everything you've done Inoue-San."

"You're welcome."

The female arrancar proceded to hug Orihime. "Take care. Make sure to look after him too." she whispered.

"I will." Orihime reassured her.

***  
As expected Ulquiorra did not pack many things, just his sword and a few clothing items.

"You know I can buy you human clothes. It would be strange if they see you wearing your uniform all the time." Orihime stood at the doorway of his room. It was as simple as she could imagine. White paint, no decorations, only a bed and a wardrobe were there.

"Perhaps, but I don't want to inconvenience you further."

"You are not an inconvenience. If anything I'm actually glad you'll be the one coming home with me."

Ulquiorra stoped packing and looked at Orihime. She had to smile at his slight confusion. "Why would you say so?" he asked, his voice a little calmer than usual.

"When you reached out to me...I could see it, that slight spark of understanding in your eyes. You just begun to comprehend what it was like to be human. So I wanted to save you, to show you all of the great things the human world has to offer. Now I'll be able to." She finished.

Ulquiorra's eyes widened at the explanation. He continued to pack but glanced back at Orihime.

"I'm looking forward to it."

Just as Ulquiorra finished packing a small pup ran into the room barking.

"Kukkapuro, your master isn't here." He told him coldly.

The pup whined and curled up beside Ulquiorra's leg. The arrancar sighed and picked him up. "Yammy is dead. He's not coming back."

The pup wriggled his way out of Ulquiorra's arms. He walked towards Orihime and began to shake his tail.

Orihime picked him up. "Who's this little guy?"

"Yammy's fraccion. He never left his master's side. I believe he must be shaken up after his death."

Orihime began petting the pale pup as he whined and cuddled up to her. "Don't worry buddy. Yammy may not be here, but that doesn't mean you'll be alone. We can take you with us."

The pup's mood immediately brightened. He began licking Orihime's face as she giggled.

"I see he's found you." Halibel's voice could be heard from the hall. "I thought he might've wanted to go with you. Without Yammy I don't think he has much of a reason to stay."

"We'll care for him. The woman has allowed him to join us." Ulquiorra walked away from the room with a suitcase in hand. "I'm done. We can leave."

Orihime nodded. "Then let's go home." She began walking away with Kukkapuro in her arms.

'Home. It really feels that way when she's the one who says it.' Ulquiorra thought.

"Ulquiorra." Halibel's voice was somewhat nerveous.

"Yes?"

"She wasn't in the battlefield. How shall we proceed if she returns?"

Ulquiorra almost dropped his suitcase. He knew just who Halibel was referring to. "I don't think she'll return, Aizen's no longer here. If she does, kill her on sight."

"Very well. Good luck." Halibel went away without another word.

Ulquiorra shook his head and walked away towards Orihime. He wasn't sure if things were going to remain peaceful, but for now he only wanted to be with Orihime. 'Whatever happens. I must take care of her.' He glanced at her as she walked. Her hair was messy and her white uniform had been torn, but her beauty remained intact. Ever since he first saw her he knew she was a unique human, and that hadn't changed one bit.

"Ulquiorra?" she had caught him looking at her."Is there something on my face? Did Kukkapuro drool on me?"

"No. You look fine. I'm just glad that you're smiling again."

And as if she could read his mind she smiled. Looking like a ray of sunshine in the darkness of the castle. He'd seen her smiling like that before, at Kurosaki, at her friends, at her mentors even at strangers, but this smile was for him only.

'If only I could do the same for you.'

The pair kept waking, both of them anxious to finally leave Las Noches.

Soon they'd be home.


	3. Home at Last

**Chapter 3: Home at Last**

The first thing he noticed was that the sun was brighter in the world of the living.

The city was covered in various tones of yellow and orange. The streets were clouded with people, and there was an air of tranquility that Hueco Mundo sorely lacked. 'It is as if the war had never happened.'

"What do you think?" The woman's chirpy voice asked him.

"It is quite calming."

"I was thinking that we could go buy some clothes. I'm sure you don't want to spend every day in Espada uniforms. Plus I can show you around. Is that ok?"

"Sounds good."

"Great. Do you want to take a bath before we leave? I can lend you some of Sora's old clothes."

He nodded. The woman quickly disappeared into the hall and came back with a towel and brand new clothes.

"These have never been used. I think they'll fit you. The bath's already running. I'm going to take one in the other bathroom. Knock if you need me."

"Thank you."

Just as he closed the door to the bathroom he realized Kukkapuro had followed.

"You're taking a bath too. If you get the house filthy the woman won't be pleased."

The puppy whined.

"No excuses." He picked up the up and both of them got into the warm bath.

It still felt like a dream. He knew how things were meant to end, he was ready to fade into darkness once again. He accepted it.

She didn't. The way the woman clung to him, the painfully beautiful expression on her tear-stained face, when she literally poured her soul into saving him. It was just like her to keep surprising him.

Kukkapuro barked. He was covered in bubbles and shook his tail. As if he knew what Ulquiorra was thinking.

"What? I just don't think she should have done this. The position they put her in, it's unfair."

The woman had shown kindness to almost all of them. Even to the ones she should have hated. She was a special kind of human. Maybe that's why he had grown fond of her.

He finished his bath quickly and put on the clothes she had given him. They were simpler than his uniform. A pair of jeans, a white shirt, a scarf and a green coat.

Kukkapuro jumped out of the bath and dried himself. He looked like a puffy white ball of fur.

"Let's go. The woman must be waiting."

***  
Orihime had to look at her reflection twice, by now she had grown used to wearing the Arrancar uniform Ulquiorra gave her.

Now she was wearing her favorite lavender dress with a cream sweater, a scarf and brown boots.

She cast a worried look at her hairpins. They'd been overworked to the point of exhaustion. She carefully pinned them to her sweater. 'Rest easy everybody.'

"There! All ready!" She grabbed her purse and headed for the living room. Ulquiorra was already there waiting for her. Kukkapuro had fallen asleep beside him, looking like a ball of cotton with a skull as a head.

"Looks like they fit. Are you comfortable?"

"Yes, they fit perfectly. I appreciate it."

"Well, you made that Arrancar uniform for me. I figured it would be nice to return the favor."

Before they could leave a loud insistent knocking could be heard at the door. Orihime walked over to open it only to be greeted by an all too familiar pair of chocolate eyes. Before she could say anything Ichigo wrapped his arms around her.

"Inoue! We were so worried!" Ichigo was holding her so tightly she thought she might stop breathing. Behind him, she could see Tatsuki on the verge of tears.

"We were so worried you might still be in Hueco Mundo after you were taken away."

As if on cue Ichigo realized who was in the room with them. He gently let go of Orihime. "You! This time I won't be hesitant to kill you!" Orihime could see that Ichigo was going to take a swing at Ulquiorra. She got between them as fast as possible and caught Ichigo's arm in the process. Tatsuki was also holding him back.

"Ichigo what has gotten into you?!"

"He was the one who took Orihime away! I thought he locked you up again!"

Ulquiorra didn't look faced. As if he was expecting the outburst. 'That's just like him' she thought.

"Ulquiorra is not our enemy Kurosaki-kun! He didn't lock me up, he took me to the Squad 4 members. If it wasn't for him I would be dead."

"Bullshit! He ran off with you unconscious and weakened! We couldn't feel your pressure in all of Hueco Mundo!" Tatsuki smacked Ichigo in the back of the head.

"Let her finish! What were you saying Inoue?" Orihime silently thanked her friend for that before continuing.

"Ulquiorra took me away so that the Squad 4 members could heal me, but had to relocate to the Soul Society because they lacked supplies. That's why you couldn't feel me. I was in Squad 4 the whole time. When I woke up you had already beaten Aizen. Ulquiorra didn't try to kill me."

'You did.' She wanted to add, but she knew it wasn't fair. That hasn't been her dear Kurosaki-Kun. It wasn't his fault. Still, the yellow eyes and horned masked haunted her mind.

She could tell Ichigo was still unconvinced but he did relax his fighting stance. At least that was progress.

Tatsuki sighed. "Sorry about all the trouble, we wanted to see if you're alright. When you're able just give us a call, and Chad and Uryu too. We've all been worried sick about you." She grabbed Ichigo by the ear. "C'mon we need to go."

As her friends walked out the door Orihime waved them goodbye. She felt a little guilty for not going directly to them, but she needed to take care of everything before talking to them again.

"I'm really sorry about that. I didn't think Kurosaki-kun would come here."

"You were missing for four days. It's only natural they would be worried. Your friends did break into Hueco Mundo for you, it would be strange if they did not come check if you were here."

"Four days?! I thought we were gone for a few hours! No wonder they were worried. I'll have to call them later. Let's get going."

The pair left the apartment and headed for the store district of Karakura. Apparently, since Christmas was around the corner everything was on sale, the stores were all almost full.

"Wow. I didn't think there'd be so many people! Want to check over there?" Orihime pointed to a small shop in the corner, it was colored grey and the clothes were mostly leathers and dark colors, but it seemed to catch Ulquiorra's interest.

He nodded and they headed for the store.

"Hey Ulquiorra, there's something I been meaning to ask you."

"What is it woman?"

"How did you end up joining Aizen?"

The question caught him off guard. What could her tell her? The truth didn't seem like it would hurt, but he wasn't sure if the woman would understand.

"When I was turned into a hollow, all I remember was darkness. My only sense was sight. I could not taste, or smell, hear or feel. So I could only trust my sight, and all I could see was a neverending nothingness."

He felt the woman placing her hand on his back. "That sounds really sad."

"I presume that's what it may sound like, to me it didn't matter. If anything it thought me to trust my eyes. What I could see didn't matter, what could not see was nonexistent. I spent almost a four hundred years like that, until Aizen's second in command found me. I was offered me power, and access to my other senses. So I accepted."

"So you joined him because he helped you?"

"Yes. I was grateful for his assistance. It was a far more enjoyable existence to live under his rule." He paused for a moment. "Although I suspect I'll enjoy being with you far more."

Orihime giggled. "That's sweet of you to say. I hope I don't disappoint you."

"You could never disappoint." He answered.

The way he said it. It felt so reassuring. She almost didn't realize they had arrived at the store. Ulquiorra opened the door for her and they went in.

She'd seen Tatsuki shop here a few times but had never come in herself. The music was too loud for her taste and she wasn't too fond of dark colors, but Ulquiorra seemed to enjoy it. Everything went as she had imagined it in her head. Ulquiorra was not picky with his clothes, and he was good combining clothes, still she found it hard to tell if he truly liked something or was just curious.

She noticed he was eyeing a t-shirt and went to investigate. "Do you like that one?"

"I'm intrigued by the design."

Orihime held back a laugh when she saw the shirt. It was a black shirt with the Batman symbol in yellow. She also noticed there was a matching female version of the shirt. This one was white but had the same symbol.

"Let's try them on!"

***

"You look great!" Orihime couldn't believe how cute Ulquiorra looked with the human clothing especially his batman shirt.

"I say it suits you better than it does me, but it is comfortable."

"I'm glad you like it. When you change back I'll go pay for everything. Then we can go get something to eat."

Ulquiorra nodded and quickly changed back into his other clothes. While Orihime went to the register to pay Ulquiorra waited for her near the entrance. It was then when he noticed  
her.

She had the same black hair that looked like a cascade of ink down her back and the same porcelain skin. He was about to grab his sword only to realize he did not have it. 'No. Not now! Not here!'

A wave of relief washed over him when the woman turned. Her eyes were brown instead of aquamarine and she didn't have any scars on her body.

"Ulquiorra?" He was startled when Orihime called to him. "I'm done paying. Let's go eat."

"Alright."

As they left the store he couldn't help but wonder if he was seeing things. There was no reason for her to be there, she probably would not go back to Hueco Mundo either. Without Aizen around it was possible she just gave up and decided to stay away from all of them. Sadly he knew that was not the case.

"Ulquiorra, are you ok?" Orihime took his hand. Her face full of concern. "You look shaken. Is something wrong?"

"I'm fine. Perhaps just a little hungry."

She immediately perked up. "Then let's hurry to the restaurant! They make really yummy dumplings, or you could try the miso!"

As she rambled on about the food Ulquiorra could not help but noticed the difference between this Orihime and the one he had met at Hueco Mundo. Back then she had been so quiet, so sad, her fire had been burning underneath all that. She dared to hope against impossible odds, all because of her 'heart'. Now she was radiant. Smiling even at the most insignificant things, still full of fire and determination. He couldn't comprehend how a simple human girl could be this strong.

'If your heart was truly in my hands then I do my best to prove I'm worthy of it.'

***  
By the time they came home Ulquiorra thought he might have to roll Orihime out of the restaurant. The woman ate a lot more than him and she took extra rations home.

"Kukkapuro!" The puppy came running when he saw them. Orihime quickly ran to the kitchen and served him a bowl of food along with water.

"Eat up I brought extra for you too!" She served the puppy his meal and went to the fridge to save the rest.

"Oh! I thought it would be empty. To think the others did the shopping while I wasn't here. That's so sweet of them!"

Even the smallest gestures seemed to make her happy. No wonder she was so fond of her friends.

"It's almost 9 o'clock. I have to call the others! Do you want to watch a movie?"

"Yes that would be fine. I'll wait until you're finished."

"Thanks!"

Orihime frantically tapped at her phone as she walked towards her room.

Kukkapuro finished eating and began barking.

"Do you want more?"

The puppy shook his head. He beckoned Ulquiorra to follow him. They stood in front of Orihime's plushie shelf. Kukkapuro kept barking at a Raven plushie.

"I'm telling you. She's probably not coming back. Why would she?"

Kukkapuro kept barking. Slightly whining when he came close to Ulquiorra.

He picked up the puppy and sat with him on the couch, petting his head.

"I know you miss her, but should she return we have to stop her. We must protect the woman."

Kukkapuro looked at Ulquiorra, his expression resembling a grin.

"Stop that. I'm simply repaying her kindness for saving us. I'm not worried about her."

Kukkapuro barked before resting his head on Ulquiorra's lap. His new master was too stubborn for his own good.

***  
"I think that's all." Orihime had already called Ichigo, Uryu and Tatsuki. Now she was explaining everything to Chad. Out of everyone, he was the most calm.

"So now you're living with an Arrancar?"

"Two if you count the puppy."

"Well, it sounds unusual. However, I trust you completely and I think it's wonderful you're helping them."

Orihime let out a sigh of relief. "I'm so happy you approve. The others were frantic when I told them."

"It's normal they worry more. They've seen Ulquiorra's power first hand, that's why they're more skeptical. However if you did save him, and he's truly loyal to you there should be no problem."

"I guess so... Hey Chad."

"Yes?"

"Thanks for what you did. You know back when I was told to stay out of the fight...It means a lot to me."

"You're welcome. I know Kisuke and the others didn't mean harm, but I want you to know that I do believe in you. If you want to fight, then fight. Get stronger. I know you are far more powerful than what they give you credit for."

"Thanks Chad. I really needed to hear that."

"No problem."

"I'll talk to you tomorrow. Ulquiorra's waiting for me."

"Good night Inoue. See you tomorrow."

With a click, she hung up the phone and left it on her bed. When she got to the living room she saw Kukkapuro sleeping in Ulquiorra's lap. Almost immediately the Arrancar looked at her.

"Are you done?"

"Yes. I've explained everything to everyone. Now, what do you want to watch?"

"Whatever you chose it's fine."

Orihime picked a movie at random. She was surprised to see that she had picked a Batman one.

As they watched the movie she kept sneaking glances at Ulquiorra. It was clear he was interested in the movie, and she could see his eyes widened or narrowed in certain scenes. That along with the clothes made him look much more relaxed.

She didn't make it to the end. After half an hour she was already asleep on Ulquiorra's shoulder. The Arrancar noticed Kukkapuro looking at them wagging his tail.

"Don't get funny ideas. She's simply tired from the long walk today."

When the movie was over Kukkapuro walked over the tv and turned it off with his paw. Ulquiorra glanced at Orihime. She was still sleeping soundly holding onto his arm.

"Seriously. She's too careless." He wanted to wake her, but the second he tapped her arm she pushed him down.

"Great." Now she was sleeping on his chest, as oblivious as before. Kukkapuro got on the couch and tried to shake her awake, but Orihime grabbed him.

Ulquiorra sighed. "I guess we'll have to sleep like this.

The night was less cold than the ones at Hueco Mundo, there were more crickets and it was far more peaceful. He could hear Orihime's steady breathing as she nuzzled up to him, smiling in her sleep.

Finally he was home.


	4. Paradigm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Here's the new chapter! Sorry the last one was a bit less exciting. Had to let those cuties settle down before I could continue. As always I hope you enjoy. Thanks for reading!

© Bleach and it's characters don't belong to me. They belong to Tite Kubo and Shonen Jump. Jeanne Dae, Shizuka Fujiwara, and Hydra are the only characters I own.

Chapter 4: Paradigm

The bright rays of the morning sun awoke Orihime. For some reason, she thought her bed was harder than usual. When she heard a calm breathing beside her she realized this wasn't her bed.

"Oh no..."

She had fallen asleep cuddling Ulquiorra and hugging Kukkapuro. The two of them were still asleep so she made sure to get up as quietly as possible.

Orihime decided not to wake them, at least not until she finished making breakfast. She went back to her room to check her phone. It was full of texts.

The first 10 were from Michiru then 10 more from each of the other girls and finally one from Tatsuki. No doubt her friends wanted to gossip. As soon as she opened the first message her face drained of color. It was a picture of her and Ulquiorra at the restaurant. She was laughing at a comment he had made about Aizen's obsession with tea. Ulquiorra still had his same indifferent expression but looked more human thanks to the clothes.

Under the photo Michiru posted a message:

Who's the cutie? ❤ Did you get over Ichigo? Tell ussssss!

Orihime was horrified when she saw the rest of the messages. All of them asking about Ulquiorra and his relationship with her. The last message was from Tatsuki, asking if she could meet them by the park to 'explain' everything to the other girls.

'Oh boy. I should've seen this coming.'

Seeing how they would probably show up at her doorstep if she didn't go Orihime took a bath and got ready to meet them. When she got out of her room breakfast was ready.

As she served the table she noticed Ulquiorra stretching in the couch.

"Good Morning!"

"Good Morning woman."

"I hope you slept well. I'm really sorry about yesterday. I didn't notice I cuddled up to you in my sleep. You were probably uncomfortable."

"Not at all. I slept well."

"Then I'm glad. Breakfast is ready in case you want to eat. I have to leave right now, if you like you can read or I can show you how to use the DVD of you'd like to watch movies."

"I'll just read if you don't mind."

"Ok. I'll be back soon! See you!"

The second Orihime ran out the door Ulquiorra woke up the puppy.

"Kukkapuro. I need your assistance."

The pup sat up and wiggled his tail in anticipation.

"After we eat, I need to look over past records of Hueco Mundo. We might not find anything there, but we can't risk going back to Las Noches without the woman."

Kukkapuro barked in approval. The two headed for the table to eat. The woman had prepared them a meal with rice and fish soup.

Kukkapuro devoured his food with glee. Ulquiorra took a bite and immediately could tell the difference between this and what he ate at Hueco Mundo. The woman had a strange sense of taste, but her food tasted better. 'She's a girl of many talents'

After they were done eating. Ulquiorra washed the dishes and went to get his suitcase. Aside from his clothes and sword he had packed a black book and a map.

"Now, while I check the dates of her visits you mark the constant movements she's made. Maybe we can pinpoint where her next attack will be."

Kukkapuro barked before picking up a pencil with his mouth and drawing on the map.

The book Ulquiorra had been a log of inhabitants of Las Noches. Where they went, what they did and when they left. There was an entry for every Arrancar and for the shinigami associates of Aizen. Ulquiorra looked for the letter 'A' as quickly as possible. The last time she had been at Las Noches was the night before Aizen left for the final battle.

'So she knew what he would do, but why didn't she go with him?'

He sighed. Kukkapuro was still writing in the map.

"It doesn't make sense. Why would he leave someone as powerful as her out of the battle? Lord Aizen must have something planned for her."

The pup barked once he finished. Ulquiorra took the paper and examined it. It appeared that she had remained in Japan this whole time. Only changing location every six months. The pattern seemed to move in a diagonal scheme from left to right. If she would continue to use this paradigm then the next point would be Karakura Town today..

"The woman!"

Ulquiorra shoved everything into the suitcase, he grabbed Kukkapuro and bolted out the door.

***

Ever since she arrived the girls had been drilling her with questions. She had to wait until they were out of breath to respond.

"No, he's not my boyfriend. Ulquiorra is just going to be living with me. He's just having trouble at work so I am helping."

"Is he single?" Ryo asked her with a grin. "I mean you're after Ichigo right?"

Orihime chuckled. "Yes. As far as I know, he's single, but he's not exactly looking for a partner right now. Trust me, he's very closed off."

"He looks scary." Michiru was still somewhat insecure about Orihime's statement. "I was surprised to see you with a guy like him."

"He's good company. Plus he's not scary, he's quiet and calm."

"Well I'm glad you're not dating him! That Emo guy won't keep me away from you my dear Orihime ~" Chizuru was about to hug Orihime, but Tatsuki kicked her out of the way.

"Keep your filthy hands out of Orihime! Just what were you trying to do you pervert?!"

"None of your business you dragon butch! I was going to show affection to my lovely goddess!"

Orihime chuckled again. Despite the fact that they could get too noisy she really missed her friends. The girls had been her support for many years now and having them back, even after everything that had happened, was the greatest comfort she could ask for.

The air suddenly turned darker. As if a great pressure could be around the area. Orihime saw the people around her collapsing, including her friends. Only Tatsuki and Chizuru were still awake.

"Is that... A hollow?" Chizuru asked. The pressure was getting to her. Tatsuki was holding her but they were both greatly affected.

Orihime stood. "I'm going to check! Stay here." She prepared to shield her friends. "Santen Kesshun, I reject!"  
Her shield covered all the girls from harm. When she was sure her friends were safe Orihime ran off to find the source of the overwhelming pressure.

The creature was in the middle of the park. A massive hollow with long black tentacles and a smiling mask with fangs. For a moment Orihime though that Numb Chandelier had returned, as this hollow looked like an uglier version of it.

"A human child that isn't affected by my strength, how intriguing." The hollow's voice was like nails on a chalkboard, also wheezy and strained.

"Koten Zanshun! I reject!" Orihime's attack managed to cut the hollow, but this one seemed to have a thicker shell than most.

"Did your mother not tell you it is rude to attack somebody who's talking to you child?" His laugh sounded like a person being strangled. "Your power cannot kill me. Now, I don't have any intention to fight with you. My mistress will angry if I stray from my mission."

Orihime concentrated. Calling forth her powers again. "Megami no Ha. I reject!" Her yellow sword appeared in her hands and she charged towards the hollow.

"Tch. You just don't listen!" The hollow's black tentacles were stretching towards her. Like a group of slimy snakes. Orihime kept her eyes on them cutting each of them with her sword.

"Argh! You little brat! You'll pay!"

The discarded pieces of tentacle started emanating a dark blue poisonous smoke. Orihime quickly covered her nose and tried to run, but ahead of her, the hollow was already stretching more of its tentacles.

She held her breath, cutting off the tentacles that came for her. The more she cut the more blue smoke they produced, it was only a matter of time before she gave out.

"Weep, Joonome!" She heard a melodic female voice shout. In an instant she was under a cascade of water. Once the water stopped she could see that around her the mist had dispersed. A woman was standing in front of her. She had white hair, pale skin, and silver eyes. "Are you alright?" She offered Orihime her hand and she took it.

"Thank you." She said. The woman smiled at her.

"A shinigami. I thought the substitute had lost his powers." The hollow mused.

'Lost his powers?! Kurosaki-kun lost his powers?' When he had visited her yesterday Orihime noticed his pressure was not as strong as before but assumed that he was just recuperating from his battle with Aizen.

"I am the new shinigami for this town. Shizuka Fujiwara of the 3rd Squad." The girl frowned. "Now you shall die."

The hollow once again began to stretch it's tentacles. Both Orihime and Shizuka began cutting them off again, but before they could release smoke Shizuka used her shikai and neutralized them.

"I'm getting tired of the two of you!" The hollow opened his mouth, between the two lines of sharp teeth there was dark blue glow.

'A cero!'

Orihime pushed Shizuka behind her. "Shiten Koshun, I reject!"

The shield kept them safe from the cero, but the pressure from it made them slide backward. Orihime grinned as the hollow got closer to them.

"Fool your little shield won't hold out agains-" he did not finish his sentence, for the shield blasted the attack back at the hollow, cracking his mask.

Just as they got ready to attack again Orihime saw Ulquiorra appear before her. " I'm sorry I'm late woman." He put Kukkapuro down and stared at the hollow.

"Ulquiorra Schiffer. To think that the fourth Espada would now be allying himself with the shinigami."

"What I do it's none of your concern Hydra. For the Arrancar are no longer serving Aizen or his supporters."

"Traitor! After all she did for you! You've all turned your back on my mistress!"

Ulquiorra didn't speak. He simply raised his arm and muttered the word 'cero'

A flash of green envelope the hollow. He was reduced to a ragged black blob with only it's hollow mouth remaining.

"I..fai..led you...my...mistress..."

Ulquiorra nodded at Kukkapuro. The pup nodded back and began sucking up the remaining pressure of the hollow. He soon disappeared as if he had never existed.

"Thanks for helping us guys." Orihime smiled. "Thank you too Fujiwara-San"

The girl smiled. "No need to thank me, sweetie. I was just doing my job. If anything I oughta thank you. Now, if you excuse me I need to go write a report for this mission. Have a nice day you three!"

Shizuka flash stepped away from the scene. Orihime let out a sigh. Finally, that fight was over. She had forgotten how much of a nuisance it was to fight those hollows.

"Are you alright?" Ulquiorra asked her.

"I'm fine. Just tired. To think that a hollow that powerful would pop here so so suddenly. I thought that without Aizen they'd go back to being more docile."

Ulquiorra looked again to the spot where Hydra had died.

"I'm afraid Aizen's plans have not been foiled yet."

"What? But he's imprisoned and without his powers!" Then she remembered the words of the hollow. 'My mistress...' she swallowed. "There's somebody out there working for him. Isn't there?"

"Yes. That hollow was just the beginning."

***

Orihime went back to check on her friends. It turned out Shizuka had used the memory wiping device on her friends. Only Tatsuki and Chizuru knew what truly happened. After biding them farewell she went back to her home with Ulquiorra.

To her surprise she saw that somebody was moving into the house next to her.

"We should say hi. It's not often that neighbors move in."

Ulquiorra nodded as the two walked towards the house. A familiar face was the one unpacking all the boxes.

"Shizuka-San."

The girl turned and smiled as she saw her new guests. "Hey you two! What are guys doing here?"

"I live in the house next to this one."

Shizuka squealed "Really?! That's great! I thought I was going to end up being a bit lonely in here. I'm glad you made it home safe. Hope you don't mind I used the gikongan on your friends. Two of them did have spiritual awareness."

"That's ok. I know it's part of your job. Do you want us to help you?"

"If it's not too much trouble, actually I've got someone here helping me out too."

"Shizuka where do the figurines go?" Chad came out of the house with a small box marked fragile. "Orihime and Ulquiorra, I thought you might not show up just yet."

"You all know each other?"

"Yes. Sado-Kun has been my friend for a while."

"Aw that's so cute. I should have known you were friends. Mr. Urahara mentioned you guys all had powers when I went to get my gigai. Sado-kun was there and offered to help out."

"Well the more the merrier. Let's get started."

The group spent a few hours moving the boxes and the contents around the house. When they were finished Shizuka began cooking lunch.

"Do you want me to help?"

"Nah that's okay sweetie. You are my guests. Just sit and relax. I'll have this done quickly."

Orihime nodded and began watching T.V with the others. Chad was petting Kukkapuro while Ulquiorra surfed the channels. All of them were covering a news story from Tokyo.

According to our sources over a hundred people collapsed in the middle of the day at the same time. The doctors that were called to deal with the emergency assure us that there were no deaths and that there are no similarities between the individuals who were affected.

"Do you think it's connected to what happened today here?" Shizuka asked as she gave everyone a bento.

"It is possible." Ulquiorra answered.

"The person the hollow spoke about?" Orihime bit into a piece of salmon. It was a little spicy for her taste but also well seasoned. "She's behind all this?"

"Yes. I thought she would just remain hidden and never be seen again, but it appears her loyalty is unwavering." Ulquiorra kept eating thinking about what to do. "As far Soul Society knows she's dead."

"Why would they think so?" Chad asked.

"Because almost a century ago, she was marked to die."

Those words made Orihime shiver. The sheer disdain hidden behind them was overflowing. 'This person' she thought. 'This person has to be very dangerous.'

"Can we be sure your theory is correct before we act?" Shizuka began changing the channels. She looked somewhat absent. Maybe she knew who Ulquiorra was referring to.

"Yes. I can go to Las Noches and verify if there's any evidence pointing towards her. However I need to know the Soul Society shall not punish us for it."

"Done. I can grant you permission if they ask why I'll just say you were checking on the others." Shizuka shrugged.

"Can't we just tell them what we are really doing? It could help them prepare." Orihime mentioned.

"That would be for the best. Sadly the Central 46 will not admit their wrongs. They didn't do so after the incident with Urahara, they didn't do so after Kuzaka and they won't do it now...If we go to them they will just accuse us of being paranoid idiots, and assure us she's dead."

Orihime nodded, remembering when Rukia was taken away and put to death when Hitsugaya's friend was scared and left for dead, the bounts, even she had been thought of as traitor by those judges. Going to them might not be the best thing to do right now.

"Okay. So when do we leave?" Orihime asked.

"As soon as Kukkapuro stops licking the remaining sauce of his bento," Ulquiorra said.

Everyone chuckled as they saw the hollow puppy finishing every bit of his meal.

***

The arrival at Las Noches was calmer than last time. Only Jeanne was in the throne room cleaning.

"You two scared me back to death! What are you doing here?"

"We need to check Lord Aizen's room. We think he might have something planned. It may involve her."

"Darn. I should've known she wouldn't stay sitting with her arms crossed. Let me see if Gantenbainne has the keys. Aizen probably had it shut sealed before leaving."

The group went into a room filled with keys and trinkets. Halibel was there, speaking with a tanned Arrancar that had an afro.

"Hey everyone! Lookie who came to visit!"

"Ulquiorra. Inoue. I didn't expect you to come back so soon. Is there a problem?"

"We are not sure. I have a feeling she might be coming back soon, but we must confirm it."

Halibel nodded. "What do you need me to do?"

"Could we please have the key to Aizen's room?" Orihime asked. Seeing how everyone was already reacting to this new threat was alarming. As if they already knew this was inevitable.

"Gantenbainne-San, please check of the key is here." Halibel ordered.

"Sure thing boss!" Gantenbainne checked the room until he found a golden key. "I believe this is it. Not sure if it'll work. You know how Lord Aizen acts."

"Thank you." Halibel turned towards the group. "Let's go."

Strangely enough, the key did open the door to Aizen's room. It was white with a wide bed, a mirror, and a bookshelf.

"I don't think we'll find much relating to her plans, but there might be something here that can prove she's still alive and kicking. Perhaps this can convince the shinigami to help us."

Ulquiorra began searching through the bookshelf along with Jeanne. Halibel looked around the room for any secret compartments. As Ulquiorra and Jeanne emptied the bookshelf Orihime sat on the bed and began going through the books.

Most of them were history books about the Soul Society. She decided she would take them with her. There might be answers hidden among those dusty pages.

As she flicked through those books she also found a box that looked like a book. It was silver and tightly locked.

"There are no compartments hidden. Anything there?" Halibel sat beside Orihime.

Jeanne shook her head. "Just books. Besides neither of them seems like the type to keep a diary."

"I found this. Do you think it could have something important?"

Halibel eyed the box. "I've never seen this before. Maybe it's a hidden book."

"I have seen it. It's a box full of pictures. Aizen took it and looked through them every once in a while. I never saw the pictures up close."

"If it's a picture box then there are definitely pictures of her. Do we have a key?"

Halibel took the box and examined it. "There is no keyhole. It must be sealed with kido." She sighed. "Take it with you. If there's anything important there, we must retrieve it."

***

When they got back to the human world Shizuka was already waiting for them. Chad was asleep on the couch, and Kukkapuro had followed suit.

"Those two needed their break. How was your journey?"

"I think we made progress. We found all this."

Orihime showed Shizuka the books. She let out a gasp. "All of these are banned in Soul Society. I don't know how Aizen could have gotten these."

"The woman also found this." Ulquiorra handed Shizuka the box. "I believe it's sealed with kido."

"No. It's not a kido seal." Her voice was somehow saddened. "It's a blood seal. Only the owner of the box can unseal it, with a drop of his blood. We can't open this without Aizen's blood."

Orihime felt frustrated at the situation, after they finally found something that could be useful, they were back to square one.

'Reject it, heal the box.' She heard her spirits whisper. 'Heal the box, then have Fujiwara open it.'

"Can I try something?"

Both Ulquiorra and Shizuka nodded. Orihime took the box and concentrated. "Soten Kisshun, I reject!"

The soft glow illuminated the box. Orihime closed her eyes, concentrating on her incantation until her spirits told her it was enough. When she opened them she saw her hands were covered in blood. 'Aizen's blood.' It was revolving for her to have an enemy's blood on her hands, but at least her spell had worked.

"I think it will open now, if you use your blood." She handed Shizuka the box.

The shinigami bit her thumb and poured a few drops of blood on top of the box. The silvery trinket sucked up the blood like a sponge. It creaked open with a small squeak. Shizuka gently lifted the lid. Her eyes immediately watered as she passed the box to Ulquiorra. "I should have known..."

Orihime peeked at the image had made her so distressed. It was a picture of Aizen with a woman. He was dressed in his shinigami uniform along with the Captain's coat smiling sweetly at the woman in the picture, wrapping his hands around his waist.

The woman however, was a stranger. Her hair was an inky black color, it fell down her back like a wave of darkness. Her skin was a creamy white, and she had icy blue eyes, big and sad looking almost like Ulquiorra's. She wore an Arrancar's uniform, a knee long white dress with a black belt for her sword, the sleeves of the dress were long enough to cover her hands. She was smiling at Aizen and had her arms wrapped around his neck.

"Is this the woman we were looking for?"

Shizuka wiped her tears. "Yes. She was supposedly killed 110 years ago. This proves that not only did she survive, but that she has been in Hueco Mundo this whole time."

"Was. After Lord Aizen came here permanently she went to the world of the living, only returning for brief periods of time. The last time she came to Las Noches was before the final battle of the war."

Shizuka swallowed. "Then she's out there, and she's behind all of this. Only we don't have any idea where she is."

Orihime had been mesmerized by the picture. She didn't think a person like Aizen could be showing this much emotion. For all she knew he could be faking it, but it seemed too real to be an act.

"Who is this woman?" She asked

Ulquiorra looked at her. "Her name is Anna Maria De la Rosa and she's Aizen's wife."


	5. Out for Blood

© Bleach and it's characters don't belong to me. They belong to Tite Kubo and Shonen Jump. (Hydra, Hecate, Anna and Shizuka belong to me)

**Chapter 5: Out for Blood**

"His wife?! Souske Aizen has a wife?!" Orihime thought that sounded like a bad joke.

"Yes. They have been married for almost a 110 years." Ulquiorra checked all the pictures in the box, then he placed it on a nearby table.

"After all this time... I can't believe I thought she was dead." Shizuka sighed. "It should've been obvious that was not the case."

Orihime didn't notice she was still staring at the picture. It was so hard to believe that a man as despicable as Aizen could have a wife, or that said wife looked like she was deeply in love with him. "What do you think she wants? Hollow attacks here are common, why would she send more?"

Ulquiorra picked up one of the books, he flipped through the pages rapidly. Then he tore one out. "Anna is not sending the hollows just to attack. She's sending them to collect spiritual pressure." He showed the girls the page. It was a map of Japan with various dots scattered around it. "The marked areas are the points of Japan with the most spiritual pressure. As you can see Karakura Town is among them."

Orihime saw that Tokyo was also among those points. That confirmed their suspicions of the recent attack. "Let me get this straight. Sosuke Aizen has a wife who was sentenced to death, only she's alive and collecting spiritual pressure from different points in Japan."

Ulquiorra nodded. "Yes. That is all the information we have available so far. However, her motives or location are still unknown. It would be better if we could stop her before she can carry out her plans, whatever those may be."

"Sounds good." The group was startled when they saw Chad getting up from the couch. Apparently, he has been awake for a while. "Now that we know she's alive and behind those strange attacks we must warn the others."

"Agreed. I'll call Urahara. Maybe he can give us more information on Anna." Shizuka fished out a phone from her jean pocket and began dialing.

Orihime grabbed the opened box and took out another picture. This one mystified her more than the last. It was a wedding inside a moonlit temple. Aizen was the groom, dressed in a black traditional kimono. He was blushing and laughing. Anna was dressed in a white and ice blue wedding kimono, she was giving Aizen a kiss on the cheek, pulling him closer to her. Among the few guests, she identified Gin and Kaname. Strangely enough, there were only two other guests; Hachigen and Yoruichi in her cat form.

'Why would they be there?' Orihime felt someone stand beside her. Shizuka was apparently done with her call, she chuckled when she saw the picture.

"I was the one who took that picture. Sadly everything went to hell after that."

"You two were close. Weren't you?"

Shizuka smiled, as her eyes watered once again. "She was like my sister...but that's long over."Before Orihime could ask more questions she felt a deep spiritual pull. It was like a vacuum trying to drag her and her friends away. Shizuka's cell phone began beeping, she took it out and checked it. "Whatever that thing is, It's upstairs."

Everyone nodded. Ulquiorra unsheathed his sword, Shizuka got out of her gigai and kept her hand on her zanpakuto, Chad already had his arm prepared and Orihime conjured up her Shun Shun Rikka. The group went upstairs very slowly. Apparently the creature was still there, simply waiting for them. When they arrived all they could see was a shadowy figure standing in the darkness of the hall. It was like a gigantic mantis with mask. Shizuka flipped the light switch, revealing exactly that. The mantis-like hollow had two horns and an unusually big mouth. She also wore a pendant with a blue gemstone.

"You finally come here. I was expecting you." The hollow's voice was low and silky. She walked slowly towards them. "I won't forgive what you did."

Chad extended his right arm, getting ready to shoot. "El directo!" The green blast of spiritual pressure seemed to have cut the hollow in half.

"Is she gone?" Orihime asked.

Shizuka shook her head. "No. I can still feel her pressure."

"You're smart for a shinigami." The hollow's voice came from behind them, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Careful, she's a camouflage type-" Shizuka suddenly went silent. She felt a stabbing pain near her shoulder.

'The hollow!' she thought. She swung her zanpakuto as fast as possible towards her attacker, then smiled when the hollow groaned. 'Gotcha.'

Ulquiorra concentrated all his energy on his pesquisa ability. However, he could not see the mantis clearly. Only a vague shadow clutching her injured foreleg.

"She's in front of Shizuka!" He told them.

Orihime didn't waste time. "Koten Zanshun I reject!" Her attack was sent directly at the hollow. "Did I get her?"

Ulquiorra shook his head. "She teleported. This is another artificially created hollow." He looked around the hall, unable to locate the hollow. Then he heard barking coming from downstairs.

The group went down as quickly as possible. Kukkapuro was seemingly chewing on air, but they knew better.

"El directo!" Chad shot a green ray of reiatsu with his right arm. They heard the hollow growl, but she remained invisible.

"She's running out the door."

The group ran of after the hollow. With Ulquiorra's instructions, they continue to attack, but she kept teleporting. They were led to the edge of the river. The hollow was still invisible to all of them except Ulquiorra. At this rate they would be chasing it around all afternoon.

'"This isn't working! We need a plan!"

The group stopped chasing the hollow for a moment. Orihime made sure they were all close enough to shield them "Santen Kesshun, I reject!" The shield covered them all in case the hollow decided to attack.

"Ok. We need to keep her from teleporting. Any ideas?" Orihime asked.

"My zanpakuto's ability is to control water. I could try to use the water of the river along with reishi to cage her, then I could open up a small hole for one of you to attack. "

"I shall do it. My cero should be enough to kill her."

Orihime noticed that Ulquiorra's eyes were halfway closed. He looked exhausted from having to use his pesquisa for so long.

"Are you sure? You seem tired."

"I'll use El directo too. That way Ulquiorra won't do all the work."

"Then it's settled. We'll cage her then attack. Places guys!"

Just as Shizuka finished speaking Orihime felt the hollow banging on her shield. She deactivated it and everyone quickly got out of the way.

"Weep, Joonome!" Shizuka released her zanpakuto. Her sword's hilt turned blue and the sword produced a teal light. Shizuka waved her sword around as if it was a wand. The water of the river was levitated into the air, she then used it to cage the hollow in a box of water and spiritual pressure. She only left an opening big enough for the others to attack.

"SHOOT IT NOW!" Shizuka yelled.

Chad and Ulquiorra got into position to attack. Chad launched 'El directo' straight into the hole and it crashed into the hollow's head.

Ulquiorra was about to attack but suddenly he was kneeling on the ground clutching his eyes

"Ulquiorra!" Orihime ran towards him and immediately noticed what was wrong. His eyes were bleeding. There wasn't any time to waste. Orihime held onto Ulquiorra's hand and helped him up. Since was unable to see she'd have to be the one to attack.

"Koten Zanshun, I reject!" Her attack went through and affected the hollow.

What surprised everyone the most was that the attack managed to burn off all of the hollows skin. Orihime gasped. Her attacks were never this potent, let alone against a hollow like that.

She decided to ignore the problem for now and concentrate on healing Ulquiorra. "Shoten Kisshun, I reject!" She was still holding his hand as she healed him, feeling guilty they had to depend on his ability so much.

"I'm sorry woman. I was careless and could have cost you the battle."

"You don't have to apologize for anything! I'm just glad you're ok."

When she finished healing him he opened his eyes once again. 'They are so beautiful, and yet so sad.' she thought.

Kukkapuro's barking startled them all. The hollow was now only a mangle of bones and half a mask. The pendant she wore was intact. She broke out of the water prison and slowly moved towards the group.

"You cannot go unpunished! You killed my mate!"

'Mate?' Orihime didn't know hollows had mates, and if they did then she couldn't remember who was this hollow's mate...

"Hecate? Hecate can you hear me?" A voice came out of the hollows pendant. It was a beautiful female voice. "The mission has been completed. You can return."

"No Mistress. I have to avenge Hydra. I cannot comply."

"Hecate no!" the voice pleaded, but it was soon silenced.

'Hydra...That was the hollow we killed earlier!'

As Hecate ran towards them Orihime prepared herself to shield the others, but she didn't need to. Before Hecate could reach them Shizuka sent a cascade of water down on her. The lifeless body fell to the ground and was slowly fading.

"I believe she has been dealt with." Ulquiorra looked much better after being healed. At least now the fight was over.

"Well you guys have certainly outdone yourselves!" The group towards the sound of Urahara's voice. "I thought something might be wrong when I didn't spot you at Shizuka's house."

"Sorry I couldn't send a message before we left." Shizuka wiped the sweat from her brow. "This was the second one today."

Kukkapuro began absorbing Hecate's remains as the other spoke. The only thing that was left of her was her pendant. Kisuke saw it and sighed, he scoped it up from the grass and examined it.

"Hecate? Are you still there?" The voice could still come through. Even in an anguished state, it sounded beautiful.

"She's gone." Orihime had never heard Urahara speak in such a cold voice. "Just like you were."

There was silence, then a sigh came from the pendant. "I was hoping I never had the displeasure of hearing your voice again, Urahara Kisuke."

"And I was hoping that if you had indeed escaped death, you would leave all of this behind. You were finally at peace Anna. Why now?"

"Why?" Anna's voice was laced with rage. "Because unlike you, I will never abandon him! Even if they tear me apart a thousand times more, I'll endure for him!" She then let out a dark chuckle. "And don't presume for a moment that I have been at peace. The scars they gave me are proof of the contrary. Do not talk to me again, Urahara Kisuke. Otherwise, I'll silence you myself."

After that there was only a deafening silence, the night air was getting colder and even the sound of the water seemed to disappear. Kisuke took the pendant and shoved it in his pocket.

"Let's go the shop. I bet you have a lot of questions."

***

Tessai served everyone a cup of tea. They all thanked him and drank. Still hearing Anna's threats in their minds.

"So, I think Shizuka told you the basic stuff. What else do you want to know?" Kisuke finished his own tea, seemingly unaffected by what had happened.

"Do you know what she's planning? Why she would just be coming back right now?" Shizuka asked.

"Hard to tell. She's a rather complicated individual. My best bet is that she wants to get her power back. Now that Aizen is imprisoned and sealed he can't be of any use, but she can try to finish what he stared.

"The pressure she collects...is it enough to restore her power?"

"Yes. If she's been doing this for around a century then she should be close to her goal." Urahara turned to Ulquiorra for confirmation. The Arrancar nodded.

"Then the only thing we can do it's trying to locate her. If she gets her power back, expect another war." Those words were enough for everyone to fall silent yet again.

"Is she really that powerful?" Orihime gripped her skirt in an effort to calm herself. She thought all of this was behind them, that the only thing they'd have to worry about would be school or the occasional hollow. Now war once again coming to their doorstep, and Ichigo was powerless to stop it.

Urahara nodded. "It's safe to say that without Kurosaki this will be more difficult. I will put all of my efforts into locating Anna. So until further notice just relax and leave everything to me."

Orihime was uncertain about that last point. She knew there wasn't much any of them could do, but the idea of relaxing at a time like this seemed strange.

She turned to Ulquiorra. He kept his eyes closed, despite the fact that they had been healed, and he looked so very tired. Kukkapuro was nuzzling up to him, as if trying to soothe him.

"I think the three of us will head home now. Thanks for everything Urahara-San! We'll see you later you everyone!" Orihime picked up Kukkapuro and walked away with Ulquiorra.

***

Night was beginning to fall on Karakura town. The night sky was bright and full of stars. Winter usually brought out the most beautiful nights of the year. Orihime kept sneaking glances at Ulquiorra. His eyes were now open, looking downcast and heavy.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yes. It's just a temporary blinding effect from the pesquisa ability. The more I use it, the heavier it feels."

"Oh ok. We'll be home soon, maybe sleep will help you."

He nodded. Suddenly he stopped walking. "I apologize for my failure in battle. All of you could have been greatly injured."

Orihime took Ulquiorra's hand. "It's not your fault. You had to use your ability too much, besides everything turned out well in the end."

"Thank you."

Kukkapuro started barking at the sky and wagging his tail. Orihime was confused about it until she looked up. The sky was adorned by millions of tiny stars. During winter they could be seen all the more clearly.

"What are those lights, woman?"

"Those are the stars Ulquiorra. They are millions of miles away from us, but their glow can be seen here on Earth."

"I had not seen them before. They are quite strange."

"Strange? I think they're pretty. The whole universe is actually very pretty. The different planets, the stars, the celestial bodies. It's fascinating."

"Is this what you would work in? Studying the universe."

Orihime giggled. "Yes. One of my dreams it's to explore the universe. I have a few others, but this one I've had since childhood."

"Then I hope you achieve it."

"Thank you."

The pair stared at the stars for a while. The walk home had been good for unwinding after the fight. When they arrived Orihime began cooking dinner.

"Do you need any help?" Ulquiorra was standing beside her putting on an apron.

'That's something I thought I'd never seen.' Since he was willing to help Orihime handed him a knife.

"Could you cut the potatoes? I'll have the meat ready soon."

"Understood."

While he was a great warrior Orihime thought Ulquiorra should have been a chef. He cut everything into equal pieces and his measured everything exactly like the recipe. 'A natural'

The food had been some of the best she'd had in a while. "We should cook together more often. This tastes really good."

"I agree, although the breakfast you made this morning was excellent too."

"Thank you, not many people like my cooking. It's nice to know you do."

Kukkapuro barked in agreement as he kept devouring his food. Orihime smiled and slipped him an extra piece of beef.

"Ulquiorra, do you have any idea what Anna might do if she comes back?"

"I am not sure. I recall most of her time on Hueco Mundo was spent with Aizen. She spent time with us too, mostly having tea or training. I take it she was closest with Szayel. She's a lady of Science."

"When you describe her she actually sounds pleasant, but the way she talked to Urahara-San..."

"Well, she's Lord Aizen's wife. I don't doubt she shares some of his darkness."

Orihime swallowed hard. At the very least this time they had a chance to stop this new threat before it grew.

"You don't need to worry. If there's one thing I know for certain it's that she will not harm you."

"How can you tell?"

"She's just like you."

***

The day had been exhausting, and all Ulquiorra wanted to do now was sleep. The woman had been horrified when he said he'd sleep on the couch again. So she led him to her brother's old room. It was painted dark green, with a big bed, a wardrobe, a nightstand, and a vanity. Simple but cozy, he didn't need much else. He prepared for bed and quickly let himself fall on the fluffiness of the mattress. Kukkapuro was curled on the other side of the bed. Ulquiorra was beginning to understand why Yammy was exasperated with the poor pup.

"Good Night." He whispered. Kukkapuro barked in agreement and went to sleep.

Ulquiorra didn't remember falling asleep, let alone dreaming, but he did recognize the hooded figure waiting for him in the darkness.

"I see the 'dreamcatcher' you made with Szayel is working."

Anna chuckled. "I like to give nightmares to certain people every once in a while. Although I'm not here for that."

"What do you want?"

"I know you all betrayed him. That you're now on the side of the idiots massacred your comrades. Why would you do such a thing?"

"I do not owe you any explanations. You're not my boss anymore."

"Then don't consider it an order. Consider it a question from an old acquaintance."

He hesitated. It would be better if he didn't say anything, but he felt like he owed it to her. "The woman saved us. She was willing to take responsibility for us, and as such we swore her loyalty. Whatever it is that you want, we can no longer assist you."

"I see." She shrugged. The mere gesture seemed to cause her pain. "Well then I won't interfere with them, or with Miss Inoue. I'll just leave you with a warning. Soul Society is a nest of snakes, don't let them poison you."

With that she walked away as always, hips swaging and heels clicking on the floor.

'Urahara Kisuke was wrong. Whatever plan she has, it's already begun.'


	6. Boiling Point

© Bleach and it's characters don't belong to me. They belong to Tite Kubo and Shonen Jump (Only Anna and Shizuka belong to me)

**Chapter 6: Boiling Point**

The days turned to weeks in the blink of an eye, replacing the amber and scarlet tones of the city with a fluffy blanket of snow. A few things had happened. Both Orihime and Ulquiorra found jobs at a bakery near their house, there hadn't been any drastic hollow attacks since that night with Hecate, and Shizuka had received permission for them to take trips to Hueco Mundo whenever they pleased.

For Orihime all of that felt small. She was growing restless. Urahara didn't have any luck tracking Anna. Which meant she was out there carrying out whatever plan she had. Orihime wasn't sure why she feared the woman so much. She didn't look particularly intimidating, aside from her angry voice, she was powerful and smart but not as much as Aizen and he had been brought down. 'Then why? Why do I fear her?' If she had to guess, it would be because she understood. Ultimately Anna was doing this out of love for Aizen. Orihime knew what it was like to love that way, and that Anna would not stop fighting unless they killed her.

"Woman."

Ulquiorra's voice startled her. She had been sitting beside the window for almost half an hour now. "I'm sorry, I was lost in thought. Do you need anything Ulquiorra?"

"You were thinking about Anna, were you not?"

Orihime sighed. "Yes. It's just... Forget it. I shouldn't dwell on this too much. Do you want to go play in the snow?"

"Yes, I'd like that. Let me wake Kukkapuro."

***  
He knew she was lying. Her eyes betrayed her all too often. He couldn't deny that he was worried too. Anna was a lady of her word, but she was also calculating. She might find a way to hurt the woman without breaking her promise. He glanced at Orihime. While he chose to stay on the blanket they had brought to the park, Orihime and Kukkapuro were building sculptures out of snow. The cold didn't faze him, he simply wanted to look at the woman while she played. Her fiery hair contrasted with the white snow, making her look even more beautiful than usual. They had only spent a few weeks together, yet he felt closer to her than to his old comrades.

She looked at him and waved. "Ulquiorra! Come here!" Kukkapuro ran to him and began pulling at his scarf.

"Alright, I'll go."

He walked towards her, surprised by what she and Kukkapuro had been building. They had built a group of snow figures. He recognized Kurosaki, Chad, Shizuka and the Quincy, the others were a mystery to him. He could only assume they were her colleagues from school and her deceased brother.

There was one figure that surprised him. A miniature version of him in his second release form. The woman had included every single detail, from his horns to his spear.

"What do you think? I wanted it to look just like you!"

"I am impressed. Where did you learn to build like this?"

"My brother and I used to do this every winter. He loved the snow, so we went out all the time and built sculptures..."

When she talked her brother her eyes sparkled. A mix of sadness and pride lingered on her face while she was lost in her memories. "Sorry, I got distracted again."

"You do not need to apologize. It's clear you miss your sibling."

She wiped a few years from her eyes. "More than ever. It hits me harder this time of year, at least..." She smiled. "I won't spend the holidays alone, thanks to you guys."

He didn't know what to respond. He was often praised for his power, but never for his mere presence. In the end all he could do was nod. "I'm looking forward to it."

They built two more sculptures. One of Kukkapuro, which was very tiny and hard to construct and one of Orihime. Despite her insistence on not having one, Ulquiorra built it anyway.

"The group wouldn't be complete without you." He merely told her.

When they were about to leave Orihime's phone began ringing. "Hello?" she answered. Her happy face was immediately replaced with intense worry.

"Yes. We'll be right over. See you then."

"Is something the matter?"

"It was Shizuka-San. She says that Urahara figured out a part Anna's plan."

***  
The atmosphere in Shizuka's living room was heavy. Orihime was surprised to see Kannonji and his Karakuraizer team there too. Uryu, Ichigo and Chad arrived after her and Ulquiorra.

"Good, you guys are all here. Take a seat, I'll have some food ready in a bit, but now let's talk business. I've got good news and very bad news."

Shizuka took out a few papers from a folder and placed them on her living room table. "I'll start with the good. Urahara-San did some research into Anna's old papers. Back when she was a member of his research and development team, she specialized in creating dummy hollows for the academy's training sessions. Unbeknownst to Urahara, Anna took her formulas and methods for dummy hollows and modified them to create real hollows.

In order to create her artificial hollows she changed the variables in the formulas. To summarize, the good news are that Kisuke has all of Anna's formulas available, this can help us figure out her plans, maybe even track her down."

"What are the bad news?" Uryu asked. Everyone in the room fell silent in anticipation.

"The bad news are that one of Anna's formulas could be used to create an artificial hollow of great magnitude. Especially since she has collected so much spiritual pressure "

"Like a Menos Grande?" Ichigo asked

"Far worst, A Vasto Lorde."

She didn't like the sound of those words, nor the memories they brought. Ichigo's yellow eyes and horned mask came to mind.

"Urahara is working on a special kido trap that should be strong enough to restrain this hollow. This will allow us to call reinforcements from the Soul Society. I'm asking you all to be aware of your surroundings, we don't know when this hollow will appear. Kannonji-San if it's not too much trouble I'd like you and your Karakuraizer team to aid the civilians once the hollow appears. Could I count on your assistance?"

"No problem my number 2 pupil!" He struck his signature pose, much to the chagrin of his team. "We will protect the people from bad spirits!"

Shizuka chuckled. "Thank you. As for everyone else, keep your weapons close at all times, and be ready when I call you. That'll be all."

***  
After everyone ate and chatted for a bit, the room was being slowly emptied out.

Ichigo was still there, looking at the papers again and again. Orihime knew what he was thinking, and she couldn't help but feel sad for him.

"Kurosaki-kun, are you alright?"

"I'm fine Inoue." He smiled at her. "Do you mind if we go take a walk, there's something I been meaning to ask you."

The request seemed odd, but she didn't mind. "Sure, I'll go get my scarf."

***  
"Where's Orihime-Chan?" Shizuka came into the living room with a box in her hands.

"She left with Kurosaki."

The shinigami put the box down. "Well with this cold weather they'll probably be back soon. In any case, I wanted to give you this." Shizuka passed the box to Ulquiorra.

It was full of Aizen's books. All of them had been cleaned and organized. "Why are you giving me this?"

"Technically these are yours now, and I thought you might more sense of them than I did."

"Thank you. I'll look into them."

Shizuka gave him a cup of tea and sat on the sofa next to him. "So, what's up with you and Orihime-Chan?"

"I don't follow."

"You know what I mean Ulquiorra. You two are always together, plus you're always looking at her as if she was a goddess. The first time I saw you I thought you were a couple. Chad laughed when I asked him and told me you two were just roomies."

"Sado spoke the truth. The woman and I are friends. Nothing more."

"Too bad. You look cute together." She took a sip of her own tea. "Still, that doesn't mean you're not into her, right?"

'Why do women always want to gossip' he asked himself. While it was true he held Orihime in high regard and enjoyed her company he was not sure that what he felt was love. Emotions were foreign to him, for centuries all he felt was emptiness. When he met the woman he grew restless, curious, even protective. She was a mystery, a stubborn lady who didn't want to give up on her friends, and who wasn't frightened in the face of death. Before fading away he wanted her to be the last thing saw. The only source of light in his empty existence.Then she chose to save him, and almost died because of it. He hadn't felt fear before she fainted in his arms. Since then she kept pleasantly surprising him, and now he couldn't imagine his life without her.

"I'm not sure if what I feel for her it's what you would call 'love', but I'm aware that we may never be romantically involved."

"Why would you say that?"

"The woman has romantic feelings for Kurosaki Ichigo. What I feel for her it's irrelevant, given that she doesn't feel the same way."

Shizuka didn't know what to say. She only sighed. "Well, if you ever change your mind let me know. I don't mind playing matchmaker."

Ulquiorra picked up one of the books. This one was about 'The glorious history of the Soul Society.' he rolled his eyes. 'No wonder why Aizen had such a big ego.'

"Speaking of romantic emotions, why don't you tell Yatsutora Sado that you find him attractive?"

Shizuka's porcelain face went crimson. She simply turned towards Ulquiorra. "Am I that obvious?"

"Yes. I wouldn't be surprised if they all knew by now."

"Well fuck. I'm gonna go bury myself in the backyard." She shook her head.

"Would it be so bad for you to tell him?"

She was now looking at the floor, her white hair covering her face. "It's not that I don't want to tell him. It's that I can't."

"Why is that? He seems to like you. Maybe he feels the same way."

"That would be worse..." He could tell she was crying now. "The thing is, I'm from a noble family of the Soul Society. I have been promised in marriage since the day I was baby. It doesn't matter if he likes me, or if I like him too. Nothing good will come from it."

Kukkapuro jumped on the couch and tried to cheer her up. Ulquiorra didn't know what to do, so he allowed the pup to try and soothe the girl's sadness. She let him wag his tail and try to lick her tears away. "You know what would happen if I tried to escape that fate. Don't you?"

Memories of warm blood, smoke, and burning flesh crept up in his mind, along with horrid screams.

"Yes. I know it all too well."

***  
As the snow fell on the city she was walking side by side with Ichigo. He was smiling at her. "It's been a while since we talked. How's life with your new roommates?"

"It's been great. Kukkapuro is really energetic and lovable. Ulquiorra is often quiet and likes to read, but he's a great help and makes for excellent company."

"I'm glad you're doing well. I was worried that it may be too much to handle. Having to live with him again."

She was slightly miffed at that comment. It wasn't like she didn't understand why he said it. The way they fought reminded her of wild beasts.

"I know that you two are not on the best terms, and I haven't forgotten the bad things he's done, but he's truly changed. Ulquiorra is no longer the heartless man we knew, and I fully trust him."

"If you believe in him that much. I guess I should give him another chance."

She smiled. "Thank you Kurosaki-kun."

They walked for a little more until they reached the frozen river. Ichigo stopped in his tracks. "Inoue, I wanted to ask you. Would you like to go on a date with me?"

Orihime blushed and thought she might faint. She'd been waiting for this moment since middle school. Her eyes were filling with tears.

"Yes! I'd love to!" She gave Ichigo a big hug, which he gladly returned. They spent the rest of their walk talking. When they reached Shizuka's house her stomach hurt from laughing so much.The happy mood abruptly ended. Shizuka was sleeping on her couch, from the looks of it she had been crying. Kukkapuro was sleeping on her chest, as if keeping watch over her dreams.

Ulquiorra was sitting on the other couch. He was reading a book, looking a little more irritated than usual.

"We're back! Is everything alright."

Ulquiorra nodded. "Shizuka needed to get something out of her chest. I suspect she'll feel better tomorrow. Shall we go."

"Yes of course." Orihime grabbed her things. In the end, she decided to let Kukkapuro sleep on Shizuka's chest. "I'll see you on Friday Kurosaki-kun."

"Ok, see you then. You two have a good night."

***  
"Ulquiorra you have been reading for about three hours. Is the book that good?"

"Not exactly. I'm trying to get some insight into the mind of Anna. She was always reading these books, perhaps they could help us unveiled her plans."

"Well the Vasto Lorde theory is pretty good, but causing havoc just because doesn't seem like a very complete plan."

"Precisely. I'll go to sleep once I'm done, do not worry."

"Oh, ok. Good night then."

"Good night"

***  
She dreamt about Ichigo, about her brother, and the fluffy winter snow, but they disappeared in flash. Orihime was standing in a dark room. The air felt stuffy and she was sweating. She tried to run away but immediately fell to the ground. Her feet here bound by shackles and so were arms. There was a sharp pain in her stomach, when she looked down she realized she was bleeding, the deep gash in her lower body was spilling blood into the floor.

'What is this? Where am I?'

There were figures around her. People in kimonos that she didn't recognize. They were speaking, and she could not understand a word they said. Only when she saw one of them grabbed a torch she realized what was happening.

"No! Let me go!" She screamed but it didn't sound like her voice.

The man placed the torch on the floor, the fire followed a path, directly up to Orihime.She'd been burned before. When she was a child her parents had thrown wax at her and Sora, there was also the first time she cooked when the oil splashed and burned her fingers. Yet nothing could compare to what she felt at that moment. She couldn't breathe, couldn't move, only wince whenever her flesh was scorched.

It felt as if an eternity had passed. The fire stopped leaving only a black cloud of smoke. When it cleared she could see the people around here were knocked down on the floor.

"They are not dead. Not now anyway."

That voice she recognized. Deep and calm, but dripping with darkness.

"Aizen?" She couldn't mutter anything else.

"I'm sorry. I was too late." She had never heard him speak so lovingly, in such a heartbroken voice. He broke all the shackles and picked her up bridal style. She clung to him against her will. 'This isn't my dream, this isn't me.'

"I swear. They're going to pay. Every single one of them will die screaming. Will you help me do it, Anna?"

***  
She jolted awake and fell off the bed. Her arms felt heavy and hot, and she couldn't help but cry. She didn't want to believe it but knew exactly what that was.

"Woman! Can I come in?"

"Yes." Orihime sobbed. "Please come in."

Ulquiorra walked into the room. His eyes widened as he looked at her. "You were screaming in your sleep." He walked towards her bed, sitting beside her. "Was it a nightmare?"

"No. Not a nightmare. A memory."

He swallowed, his jaw clenching. "Anna's memory."

"Yes. I felt it, everything." Her heart was still racing and she found it hard to breathe. "Ulquiorra, we have to stop her."

"Because if we don't we'll burn like she did."


	7. Through the Devil's eyes

©Bleach and its characters don't belong to me. They belong to Tite Kubo and Shonen Jump (Only Anna and Shizuka belong to me)

**Chapter 7: Through the Devil's eyes**

She didn't want to back to sleep. Not when the tangy scent of blood and smoke still lingered in her mind.

"You cannot stay awake forever. That was just a nightmare, you should go back to sleep." Ulquiorra tried to convince her to go back to bed. She wouldn't budge.

"I can't. I don't want to go back there."

Orihime was wrapped in a white blanket from head to toe. Ulquiorra was sitting beside her, immersed in the book. Every once in a while he'd glanced at her, she pretended not to notice. The coziness of her living room wasn't enough to keep her from flashing back to that dark burning cell. 'This was just a memory, actually living through that...' her bones ached and her skin was still warm. 'What crime could be so horrid, for her to be executed in such a manner.?'

A thousand theories crossed her mind. Maybe her formulas for hollows had been discovered, maybe she took the fall for Aizen's schemes or maybe she committed some unknown atrocity. Whatever it was she wasn't sure if it could excuse that cruel death.

***  
The woman calmed down in the past half hour. However, she was still looked sad. He didn't blame her, having been on the receiving end of Kurosaki Ichigo's ceros he knew how those painful burns were. 'I should've known Anna would find a way to mess with the woman.' He was at a loss of what to do. How could he cheer her up? He never had to deal with sadness in Hueco Mundo, and why would he? Hollows were easy to predict, easy to understand. Humans and shinigami were another matter entirely.

Ulquiorra put the book down. She glanced at him.

"Ulquiorra?" her usually melodic voice was raspy, probably due to the screaming.

He felt angry. Angry at Anna for doing this to her, and angry at himself for not being able to prevent it. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, reluctantly pulling her close.

Orihime didn't protest, she rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

Seeing how this seemed to calm her down he ran his fingers through her hair. To him, it was one of her most beautiful features, fiery yet soft to the touch.

She giggled. "That feels nice."

He was relieved to see her smiling again. After a few minutes, she fell asleep on his shoulder. He didn't move an inch, fearing that she might wake. Soon enough, he too fell asleep.

***  
This time she wasn't in a dark room, but rather a fancy bedroom. She could tell it was another nightmare, for she had never been here before.

"How did you find me?" She asked in that strange voice who she knew belonged to Anna.

She heard a dark chuckle. A man stood in the doorway to the room. His skin and hair were pale, but his eyes were pools of black, trying to swallow her whole.

"It wasn't hard. I only had to ask the right person. The fool thought he was helping you."

She clenched her hand and felt her nails pierce through the skin. "I'm not going back! You can't force me, I didn't commit any crime!"

The man's expression turned from amusement to rage. "Can't force you? You seem to forget that the moment we took you into the Fujiwara clan you ceased to have control over that aspect of your life!"

'Fujiwara? Like Shizuka-San?!' Orihime felt as if she had been stabbed. She remembered Shizuka's sad eyes when she told her 'She was like my sister...' Those tears she had whenever they spoke about Anna, they began to make sense.

"I'm not your doll! I won't do it! You and your whole clan are rotten!"

The man walked towards her. Now that she could see him more clearly, she could see the resemblance between her shinigami friend and this stranger. While Shizuka always had a certain sweetness to her this man was all bitterness. He reminded her of her own parents, that gaze when they were going to take a swing at her or at Sora.

"The Central has no power over us. Whatever we do to you, won't be punished. Even Aizen can't save you." The tone he used, the devilish grin, it beckoned her to run. But this was not her body, so she remained glued to that spot. That's when she felt the metallic sword pierce her. 'So, that was the wound.' letting out a gasp she clutched her bleeding stomach. Orihime could only guess the blade had poison in it, her vision was blurring and she felt lightheaded.

"Go to hell Akito!" she muttered.

"I believe you'll arrive there first, Anna."

***  
"Woman wake up!"

She almost fell off the couch if it hadn't been for Ulquiorra holding her back. The living room was fully lit, it was morning already and her mouth still tasted like blood.

"Was it the same nightmare?"

Orihime shook her head. She hadn't noticed the tears streaming down her eyes. "No, this was a different nightmare." Before saying anything else she felt nauseous. She ran to the closest bathroom and vomited last night's dinner on the sink. When the mess was cleaned she headed for the kitchen. Ulquiorra had already cooked pancakes and made her a cup of herbal tea.

"I hope it soothes you. If your reaction is any indication, the memory must've been an unpleasant one."

Orihime nodded. "How can she do that?"

"She has a device that allows users to transmit memories. The effect is permanent for all users. Meaning that all of those who use it can send memories from their point of view."

Orihime sighed. "That sounds like a lot of work. Did you use it?"

"Yes. Lord Aizen, Szayel and I tested the device upon completion. I was impressed when we tested it. Perhaps it would have been useful to us now, seeing her plans"

Orihime wasn't sure if she wanted to see more, but she wasn't going to deny that would give them a good advantage over Anna.

"Are you feeling better?" Ulquiorra's question brought her back to reality.

"Yes. I'm feeling better. The food is great." She finished her breakfast, hoping it would go down without any trouble.

"I'm glad it's to your liking."

Orihime heard her phone ringing in the living room table. She went to pick it up as fast as possible. "Hello?"

"Inoue-San. Sorry to call you so early. It's Shizuka. Listen could you come here with Ulquiorra and Kukkapuro. It's important."

"Sure. We'll be there shortly."

"Thanks sweetie."

She hung up the phone with a sense of dread. It would be hard for her to hide what she had witnessed, yet she knew it was something to address with Shizuka alone.

She glanced at Ulquiorra and Kukkapuro, who had already finished their breakfast.

"Is something the matter?" Ulquiorra was washing the dishes just as she came back into the dining room.

"We have to go see Shizuka-San. She said it's important. I'm going to go get ready."

"Very well."

***  
Uryu, Ichigo, and Chad were already there when they arrived. Shizuka was setting up a small whiteboard in the middle of the living room.

"Hey guys! I guess we're all here. Okay, so I got good news. Kisuke is almost a hundred percent sure of what hollow Anna is going to use for her attack."

She walked towards the board and placed a paper on it. It looked like a sketch of a three-headed dog.

"This hollow is called Cerberus, he has powers similar to Kukkapuro's absorption of spirit energy. If Kisuke's calculations are correct then he could have the power to absorb all of Karakura's spirit energy."

That part of the explanation worried her the most. Aizen himself had explained his plan to her, to create the key to the Soul Palace he needed the energy of all of Karakura's residents. She didn't want to think about her home being destroyed. The first time they were able to stop it, but could they stop the second invasion? It seemed simpler, one Vasto Lorde and an injured shinigami against an army was a fairly easy battle to predict. Still, she felt as if they were missing something as if this wasn't Anna's whole plan.

"After Cerberus takes all of the spirit energy Anna could use it create the Soul Key and then invade the palace."

"Wouldn't that be counterproductive? She can't hope to take on all the Royal guard in her own. Besides even if she defeated them, she'd need to kill the Soul King and replace him. Could she do that?" Ishida took the words out of her mouth. The more she analyzed it, the more her plan fell apart.

"Anna's almost as clever as her husband. I'm sure she has foreseen these faults. Perhaps she has a way to counteract the power of the Royal Guard. As for the Soul King... that's the only piece that does not fit. Even in her top form, Anna isn't strong enough to handle such power. She could try to use some of her collected spiritual pressure to make herself stronger, however, even that wouldn't suffice."

"Then why would she want a key if she's not going to succeed in the Soul Palace?"

"If I was to theorize, perhaps she wouldn't go to the Soul Palace right away. That would give her time to plan her next move."

'She's just as cunning as Aizen.' Orihime sighed in exasperation. Part of her could understand, going through such horrid things could drive anyone to darkness. 'But that's not an excuse. We can't let her win.' Shizuka explained to the group how a kido trap would be set. The trap would be big enough to cover the whole city. Some of the members of Soul Society would be coming by help set it up, and provide back up.

"I think that's the gist of it. If you guys spot anything weird gimmie a call. Kisuke said that as of now the attack could happen any day. She's ready so we should be too. Don't hesitate to call me for anything. Okay?"

Orihime felt as if she was going to get a headache. The only consolation now was that they could piece together part of Anna's plan.

"Are you ok Inoue? You look a little pale." Ichigo placed his hand on her forehead, and she started blushing.

"I'm fine. I just didn't sleep well last night."

"I'll make you something to calm that. You guys want anything?"

The boys shook their head as Shizuka headed to the kitchen. Orihime couldn't help but notice similarities between her and the man from her dream.

"We're leaving. Keigo needs us to tutor him before he leaves for the holidays. See you guys later."

Orihime waved her friends goodbye and sunk into the fluffiness of the couch. Shizuka came back and handed her a cup with a red liquid. "It's a calming tonic. It'll help you sleep."

"Thank you." She drank the cup in one go. The liquid was bitter with a minty taste, luckily it was doing its job.

"No problem sweetie. I know it's hard to sleep when you're nervous. Is it about Anna?"

Orihime nodded. "Kind of. It's just hard to explain. I had a nightmare about her, only it wasn't a nightmare."

"Like a hallucination?"

"No. Like a memory."

Seeing the confusion on Shizuka's face Orihime wanted to explain the situation, as she tried to speak she began to feel light-headed.

"Back in Hueco Mundo Anna created a device that allowed it's users to experience each other's memories. We think she might be sending the woman her worst memories." Ulquiorra finished for her.

Shizuka swallowed. "I can only imagine the fucked up things she might be sending you."

Orihime let out a giggle. "It's not very pleasant... Shizuka-San was Anna a member of your family?"

"Oh, she sent you that." Her friend's face filled with sadness. "Yeah, Anna was adopted into my clan when she entered the academy. Her parents had recently been killed by a hollow, so she was overjoyed to have a family again..."

That pause felt like an eternity. Orihime understood, the tragic turn that occurred, she had felt it all. She herself had dealt with abusive parents until Sora ran away with her.

"I think you know what happened. What they did to her when she stepped out of line...I never knew the method or place. Just that I woke up one morning and they told me she was dead."

Orihime wanted to tell her, but decided against it. It wouldn't do her any good to know how horrific the whole ordeal was. She wanted to ask the reason 'Why was she killed?' before she could say anything else she fell sleep take over her.

***  
"Oh dear, she must've been more tired than I thought." Shizuka grabbed a nearby blanket covered the sleeping woman. "Hope you have sweet dreams now Orihime-Chan!"

Ulquiorra was now trying to pierce a plan together. Not only did they have to prepare for a surprise attack from one of Anna's most powerful creations, but now the woman wasn't able to rest thanks to those nightmares.

He glanced at Shizuka, the shinigami smiled sadly at Orihime. "She's a lot like Anna when we were younger."

He could see it. The same bubbly personality and the habit of befriending everyone they met. Only Orihime's light had not faded, and he hoped it never would.

"By the way, thanks for what you did yesterday. I don't break down like that often, but it's nice to have someone be there when I do."

Ulquiorra didn't feel like he did much. Emotions were not something he was very familiar with, but if she thought he helped then he wouldn't say otherwise. "You are welcome."

Shizuka smiled and began writing down in some papers. He assumed they were calculations for the kido they would set up.

Kukkapuro walked towards him, carrying a book in his mouth. Ulquiorra had forgotten he brought it, he decided to resume his reading, but Kukkapuro kept barking.

"What is it?" he asked him.

The puppy got up on the couch with him and used his paw to move a page with a picture of the author. Ulquiorra almost dropped the book. The author was a woman with short and curly brown hair. Her face and eyes were almost identical to Aizen's, she had lighter skin and her features were softer, but it was clear the two were related. It made sense, given that the book narrated the history of Soul Society in gory detail. The wars with the hollows, the Quincy and even amongst themselves were all bloodbaths from beginning to end. They created new species like the Mod Souls and the Bounts but brought them to near extinction all the same.

'I should have guessed that title was sarcastic.' He read the name of the woman in the photo. Hanabira Aizen

"Shizuka, did Lord Aizen ever mention the name of his relatives?"

The shinigami girl tried to remember. "He was raised by his single mom, but that's all I know."

"Do happen to remember her name?"

"I think it was Hanabira, why do you ask?"

He showed her the page with Hanabira's picture. Shizuka's eyes went wide. "Like mother, like son"

"Do you think he adopted his set of morals from his mother? The text seems like something he would write."

"Maybe. Honestly, I've given up trying to analyze Aizen and Anna. Maybe they did all of this out of love, or out of pride or just greed, but I could spend a thousand lifetimes trying to figure it out."

He wouldn't argue with that. Unlike some of the other Espada he had no problems with Aizen, or with his philosophy. Yet his former superior intrigued him. The man was an enigma submerged in darkness. He didn't have the need or the interest to understand. He simply obeyed his commands until the very end. In a twisted way, he was thankful to Aizen. He became an Espada, unlocked his true power and most importantly he met the woman. 'Had I not chosen to follow him, I would still be lying in that pale void. Cold and alone.' He glanced at the still sleeping Orihime. 'If it wasn't for him I wouldn't have met you.' He silently thanked his old superior, wherever he was.

***  
Orihime knew she was asleep, that she had slept for hours without any dreadful nightmares.

That was over now. This time she was running towards Sokyoku Hill. Someone was going to be executed.

She looked up to the sky and saw a woman bound to the wooden platform on the hill. She couldn't make out her features well. Her hair was brown and short and she had pale skin. Orihime did not recognize her, but apparently, Anna did because now she was running towards the platform as fast as possible.

"Hana-senpai!" She heard Anna scream, but strangely enough, she did not feel as she had.

It was then when she realized she wasn't seeing this through Anna's eyes, because the blue-eyed shinigami was running beside her. Captain Unohana lunged forward and pulled Anna back. She began kicking and screaming but was kept restrained.

'Then whose memories am I seeing?' She felt someone pulling her back. She fought back just like Anna had, but could not get herself free.

"Aizen, please. Don't make this any harder than it needs to be." She heard Captain Ukitake's sad voice trying to soothe her.

'Aizen. I'm seeing this through Aizen's eyes.' She began to feel nervous. What horrible things was he going to show her? She wanted to wake up, her head was already killing her and her body still ached from the past nightmares. 'Whatever it is that you want to show me, I don't want to see it!' Her pleas were ignored. As she kept struggling the Sokyoku was being released. She had not seen it up close when they came to save Kuchiki, now the magnitude of the Firebird hit her in full force. 'How can anyone stare at that thing and not die of fright?'

"Mother!" She screamed as the Sokyoku bird spread its massive wings.

'That woman is his mother?' It made sense now, Aizen was not the type of man to lose control. Especially not the way he was acting now. 'His mom is going to be executed.'

She noticed the small differences between this version of Aizen and the one she was used to. His voice wasn't as deep, he still looked like he did before his betrayal except for the fact he was wearing the Academy's uniform. 'This must've happened centuries ago.' She looked at Anna. The shinigami was also wearing her academy uniform, her long black hair was messy from all the struggling, and she was crying desperately. Orihime held her hand trying to calm her. Anna looked at her, the gaze wasn't meant for her but for Aizen, still, Orihime understood every unspoken word that those blue eyes told.

Both Anna's and Aizen grip got so tight Orihime thought their bones might crack. They both gazed at the sky. The moment didn't last long, for a half a second she could see the woman's face. She smiled at them, a smile full of love and sadness then she disappeared like a whisper under the flames.

That image was going to haunt her. 'It's not like I haven't seen someone die in front of me before' Ulquiorra's sad eyes flashed in her mind, the way his hand turned into ash when she tried to hold it. 'Stop, he's safe, he's alive, you brought him back...' This woman, this one was beyond salvation.

A harsh grip brought her back to reality. Anna had slipped away from Unohana's arms and was holding on tightly to Aizen, her nails were digging into his shoulders breaking the cloth and the skin. Her sudden force made them both fall and kneel on the ground. Anna was screaming uncontrollably, weeping without restraint. Aizen was gripping her just as tightly. He was not screaming or sobbing, but Orihime felt the tears falling down his chocolate colored eyes. He was shivering discreetly, only Anna could feel him. His head was heavy and his heartbeat was accelerating.Orihime felt as if there wasn't any blood in the man's veins but rather a liquid rage consuming every cell of his body. He was bitting his lip harshly, soon enough she tasted iron in his mouth along with salt.

Ukitake tried to place a hand on his shoulder. "Don't." That voice, that was the Sosuke Aizen she recognized. The venomous yet firm tone that brought beastly hollows to their knees. This was the man of nightmares she had encountered in Las Noches.

Soon people passed them by, leaving the execution grounds as if nothing had happened. She was horrified at how casually they reacted to someone being killed before their eyes. Finally, they all left. As the Head Captain passed them by Orihime felt Aizen looking at him. The elderly man must've have felt the rage-filled gaze of the boy, yet he kept on walking away with his back turned to the couple.

"I want to kill him!" Anna's voice was cracked and bitter, just like the day she first heard her through the pendant. "I want to tear him apart like a piece of raw meat!"

The words horrified her, and so did the imagery. Aizen was not bothered, she felt him grin. "We shall. I don't know how long it will take, but their heads will roll."

***

Instead of waking up startled, Orihime woke up feeling empty. 'Is this what Ulquiorra felt like. How he lived?' Strangely enough, her headache had disappeared, so had the taste of blood or the fiery skin.

"Orihime-Chan?" Shizuka and Ulquiorra were writing on the whiteboard. Orihime smiled at them. Then she saw the paper on the board. It was a torn photo of the woman that she saw die. Beside the picture she read the Kanji for 'Hanabira Aizen'. Orihime pushed away her blanket and walked toward the picture.

"What have you seen this time? " Ulquiorra asked her. Just from looking at her he knew that she had another nightmare. "Did Anna send you another memory?"

"I don't think Anna is the one sending me the memories."

Ulquiorra's eyes widened slightly. "It was him?"

"Yes. You said every user of the machine can transmit the memories freely. If it was not you, or Szayel or Anna... I don't think Aizen would show any of his memories. Especially not this."

"You're right. We never saw any of his memories. He has to to be the one sending you this."

Shizuka offered her a hug, which she gladly took. "I'm sorry you have to deal with this. Do you want to talk about it?"

"I...I saw his mom getting executed. They burned her in Sokyoku Hill. It wasn't like Anna's memories where I just felt her physical pain. This one felt more real. The sadness the rage, I felt it as if it was my own."

"This can only mean one thing. Aizen wants to speak to you, these memories are a lure. I don't know what his reasons are, but he's calling to you in a way he knows you will respond."

"...Then I shall face him. I will speak with Sosuke Aizen, face to face."


	8. Interval

© Bleach and it's characters don't belong to me. They belong to Tite Kubo and Shonen Jump. Shizuka Fujiwara, and Anna Maria are the only characters I own.

**Chapter 8: Interval**

"Absolutely not!" As soon as the words left his lips he regretted them. Shizuka stepped on his foot, to keep him from saying anything else.

The woman didn't seem too bothered by his reaction. She looked like she was expecting it. "I know it's silly to do just what he wants, but I don't see any other way I could stop these nightmares."

"Orihime-chan has a point. I'm afraid all of us have to be well rested and ready for a surprise attack. Besides, this could be a chance to get more insight into Anna's plans."

"That may be true, but jeopardizing the woman's safety for hypothetical scraps of information does not seem like a convincing plan to me." He hoped they bought his half lie. The truth is he would have rather fight Kurosaki Ichigo in his hollow form than to let the woman go to Lord Aizen.

Shizuka just smirked at him. He suddenly had an urge to roll his eyes. 'Now I can begin to understand Tercera's expressions.'

The woman smiled at him. "I'm glad you're worried about me Ulquiorra, but it's not like I haven't talked to Aizen before. This time he's going to be restrained, and I won't be alone. Just trust me, I'll come back safe"

The way she said it, he couldn't turn her down. "Very well. Then we should make preparations for your departure."

* * *

  
They were only at the gate and she was already tempted to turn back. The entrance to the Underground Prison was a set of wide black doors with a single seal between them. To her they looked like the entrance to Dante's Inferno.

"Are you certain you want to do this?" Shizuka asked her before placing a strange looking tablet on the seal.

Orihime wasn't sure if she could handle it, but she needed answers. So she would not leave until she got them. "Yes. Let's go in."

Shizuka nodded. The shinigami placed the tablet in the seal and pushed it as if it was a button. The gigantic gates slowly creaked open, letting out a harsh wind from within.

"Here." Shizuka handed her a blue long-sleeved haori. "Captain Otoribashi told me to wear these for protection."

Orihime nodded and put on the haori. The girls began walking down a staircase that led to nothing but darkness. The white-haired shinigami used a kido spell to light the way, holding a blue flame in her palm that also transmitted some warmth as they kept walking down.

The cold was hostile, as they were reaching the eight level she could see puffs of air come out of her mouth. This temperature could've killed her if she had been a normal human.

"It's the haori's, they keep us safe. This level is meant to be for immortal beings, so while we could die from the cold, he would merely be inconvenienced by it." Shizuka pulled Orihime close to shield her from the wind.

'Immortal beings...So that's why they didn't kill him.' She wasn't expecting him to be dead but didn't think he'd be alive forever either. 'Another convoluted part of his plan?' she wondered.

Finally, the pair reached the eight level of the prison. There was not a single speck of light as far as Orihime could see.

"Are you ready?"

"I think so." She prepared herself. The last time she saw Aizen was at the throne room in Hueco Mundo. He spoke to her, but she remained paralyzed with fear. This time had to be different, they might have to figure out what Anna was planning. Orihime took a deep breath and walked in with Shizuka.

The level was an endless void. There were no walls, and the only sound that could be heard was the wind. The pair felt a pull of spiritual pressure near the center of the level.

'That must be him.'

Soon they were face to face with Aizen. Orihime was taken aback by how he looked. He was bound to what seemed to be a wooden chair. One of his eyes was covered and he seemed to be completely unable to move. What didn't change was the look on his face when he saw them. That devilish smirk was always uncanny to her. 'It's a mask.' she told herself. 'You've seen what he looks like without it.'

"Orihime, Shizuka. So nice of you to pay me a visit." His voice was still the same, confident and powerful. 'His power is no longer there.' Orihime reminded herself. 'It's just a mask, just a mask, just a mask.' she repeated the words in her head like a mantra. Even if he was bound like an animal he terrified her. Shizuka must've noticed her fear as she took Orihime's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"You know well why we're here. Spit it out Aizen. Why would you call Inoue-Chan here in such a horrific manner?" Shizuka's anger was laced into her voice.

"Always so impatient Shizuka dear. If you must know, I used the nightmares because they were the fastest method to get Orihime to come here. I'm afraid the reception here is not very good." He joked. Somehow that made her angrier.

"Well I'm here now, why did you want to speak with me? Especially now?"

The mask shifted from malicious to indifferent "I have an offer for the both of you. It concerns Anna."

Orihime and Shizuka looked at each other. 'It's a trap' They knew better, but decided to listen. What's one lie more against the thousands he already told?

"What kind of offer?" Shizuka asked, she was calmer now, but her eyes still had that spark of rage.

"If you promise not to kill Anna, then I shall tell you everything you want to know about her plans. Her hollows, her methods, whatever you ask I will answer. Only if you promise me that you will not kill her."

The request sounded so strange to her she thought it was another joke. People were like specks of dust to this man. She had been there when Grimmjow killed one of the Espada and Aizen simply smiled, not an ounce of mourning or empathy as one of his subordinates was cut open in front of him. And yet, his big request was for them not to kill his wife. Orihime couldn't understand why he would ask that, especially since he wouldn't be able to see Anna again even if she lived.

"You know well that neither of us can promise you that. Besides, it's not like you to tell the truth about anything."

He chuckled. "I am aware of that Shizuka, which is precisely why I ask the two of you. Anna might not be too inclined to kill her adoptive sister or innocent humans for that matter. As for the discussion of the plans, my last orders to Anna were to go into hiding if I did not succeed. Whatever she wants to do with the hollows or the collected pressure is entirely out of her own volition."

Orihime wasn't sure what to think, she knew Aizen would purposely steer them in the wrong direction, but what choice did they have? Any new information might be beneficial for Urahara. He could probably differentiate between truth and lies.

Orihime turned to Shizuka, the shinigami nodded. "We promise you that we won't kill Anna, but we shall fight her if she attacks Karakura. And we cannot guarantee the others will not try to kill her."

"That is not a problem. I trust she can easily dispose of anyone else."

"Then, I'll go straight to the point. How the hell do her hollows work?"

"Every hollow Anna created is based on a mythological creature of the human cultures. Urahara Kisuke is likely to have a list of the hollow's names. Their powers relate to the creature of their namesake. Additionally, these hollows can be turned into Vasto Lordes with the right amount of spiritual pressure, which I am sure she already gathered. One of them at Vasto Lorde form could erase a town of the map."

So that explained the weird hollows, and if Urahara was right about her plans then that would mean they'd had to be ready for a Vasto Lorde hollow soon enough. 'So Kisuke was right, but why? Why would she try to use a Vasto Lorde to get the power for the key? Why would she do this if she cannot succeed?'

"Is there anything else she might do? Apart from using the Vasto Lordes? Because even with the key, she cannot overthrow the Soul King." Orihime braced herself for the worse,  
if there were other horrid plans Anna could conjure they all needed to know.

"That's very observant of you. While my plans for Karakura were to use its pressure to create the soul key, Anna might use them to give herself more power, or just for the sake of getting revenge on Kurosaki and Urahara." He smiled fondly. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned indeed."

It was beyond her to think anyone would find that endearing. Wiping a town out of the map just to hurt two people? One of them she hadn't even met! Then it clicked. She still had Anna's memories lingering inside her mind, that woman was head over heels in love with him, and if she was a dangerous as everyone said then she would rip them all to shred for his sake.

"Bullshit! Anna wouldn't do something so cruel! You're probably pulling at her strings right now! Who's to say you weren't manipulating her from the start!"

Orihime didn't have time to scream as she saw Shizuka being flung across the dark room. She quickly sent Sotten Kisshun to heal her in case she had any bruises. "Are you alright Shizuka-San?"

"I'm fine." She muttered from the floor.

Orihime turned to look at Aizen, apparently, that little stunt cost him as she could see that his chair lit up with what seemed to be electricity for a few seconds. He had clenched his teeth and rested his head on the back of the chair. The mask had cracked, he was enraged. "Listen well Shizuka, you can doubt me." His voice was no longer calm. "You can doubt my word, you can doubt my intentions, you can even doubt my power, but don't ever doubt the love I have for her. Ever."

Orihime helped Shizuka get back on her feet. There wasn't much they could do now, and as much as she hated to admit a part of her did believe Aizen's words. What else could she be planning? The Arrancar army was broken, she didn't have as much power as Aizen and so far Kisuke had preparations for her hollow attack. They had all the information they needed. Still, she couldn't help but ask.

"Why did they kill Hanabira?"

By now he'd gone back to his usual calm mask. "I don't see how that could help you defeat Anna."

"You said we could ask you anything. If you didn't want me to be curious you shouldn't have shown me that."

He chuckled. "My my, I think spending so much time with Ulquiorra has given you a bit of an edge." For a second she thought he might send her flying like he did with Shizuka. To her surprise, Aizen simply sighed and answered her question. "She told the truth about their history, so they shut her up. That's all there is to it."

Once Shizuka was fully healed they had no more reason to stay there. They were prepared for Anna's attack, and there wasn't much they weren't already aware of. The shinigami was already walking away without saying a word.

Orihime was about to follow her. She muttered a soft 'Thank you.' Yet did not wait for a response, and quickly ran towards Shizuka.

* * *

  
The climb back up was easier, they spent most of the time in silence. Halfway up she heard Shizuka's voice. "I'm sorry I made him mad, maybe we could have gotten more out of him."

"You don't need to apologize Shizuka-San. I'm not even sure if what he told us was true. This was a silly idea."

"I don't think so. Even the smallest bit of information we can get it's beneficial. Thanks for agreeing to do this."

"You're welcome." Part of her felt happy Shizuka wasn't berating her or telling it'd be too much too handle."Hey Shizuka-San. Do you think what he said was true? That he really loves her?"

The shinigami was melancholic, she smiled a little. "I'm not sure. Before... everything happened those two were my model of true love. Always together, giving each other presents, the kisses, they looked like something out of a sappy romance novel. Then they were gonna force Anna to marry a noble. I thought that would be the end of it. That they'd accept it and move on, but they didn't."

'The wedding photo!' Orihime used to be curious about it, why the temple was so dark and there were so few guests. 'A secret wedding' Then that meant...

She gasped when the realization hit her. "That's why... That's why they wanted to kill her."

"Yeah. The official cover-up was treason, but in truth, my family probably went ballistic when she married Aizen in secret and ran away. I thought she was dead ever since. Now she reappears and does so many horrible things." Shizuka's voice cracked. "She's jaded and I understand why, but I never thought she'd be willing to go that far for him."

"Maybe it's because he's all she has left? The Arrancar no longer serve them, the Soul Society wants to kill her."

"And it's her family's fault." Shizuka sighed. "Why does the bad shit happens when we're kids? Why can't everything fall apart when you're old enough, or powerful enough to do something about it?"

Orihime understood, she spent countless nights awake feeling regretful. Saddened by the fact that her powers were awakened so late. If she had them that day. If she could've healed Sora... It didn't matter now. He was at peace and in a way so was she, the ache in her heart notwithstanding.

"I wonder the same thing..."

They were nearing the gate. Shizuka pushed the gate open, the sun's warm light greeted them as they exited.

'I wouldn't even last a day locked up down there.' She shook her head at the thought, there was no point in dwelling on such things. 'It's a fitting punishment, he deserves every second of it.'

"Before we get home, can we pass by Squad 3? I need to hand in some documents to the captain."

"Sure. It would be nice to see Rose-San again. Let's go."

* * *

  
Orihime wasn't expecting to be greeted with a hug. Then again the man was always overdramatic.

"I was so worried about you two! Thank heavens you're okay!"

"Captain if you don't let go of us we might choke." Orihime giggled as she saw her friend turn blue.

"Oh I'm sorry! You know how much I worry." Rose finally let go of them. "Were you able to get any information out of him?"

"Not much, but we did confirm Kisuke's suspicions. As far as we are concerned the kido trap will work. Along with the reinforcements of course." Shizuka handed Rose a few papers. "I have all the finished reports here. Kisuke also sent a copy of the plan and the hollow's information."

"Excellent! The team will be departing for the human world tomorrow. I trust everything is ready?"

"Everything is ready for the arrival."

"Very well, before you go let me get you both a cup of tea. You're probably still cold from Muken."

He wasn't wrong. Orihime still felt a little cold, even if they had been out for a while.

"No need to rush captain. I've already prepared tea for our guests." Kira stepped into the room with a tray and two cups of tea.

"You're always ahead of me my muse~"

Kira rolled his eyes at his captain nickname for him. "Sure Captain, is everything ready for tomorrow?"

"Yes. I have talked to the other members accompanying us, they're all set."

Orihime stared at the window as they Squad discussed their plans. She was somehow relieved that the nightmares were just a lure and that maybe they were ready to tackle this new enemy, still, she felt uneasy about the whole ordeal. 'I know we haven't seen the last of Souske Aizen just yet.'

* * *

  
Ulquiorra felt himself grow impatient. He had been pacing back and forth since the girls left and it wasn't helping at all. Kukkapuro barked, trying to calm him down, even if he did it in a cheeky tone.

"Silence! I am not worried. The woman is very capable..." He had no doubts she could handle herself, still, he was uneasy. "Perhaps I should have accompanied them." Seeing Aizen was not something he wanted to do ever again, but he would've if it meant Orihime would be more comfortable.

"I'm back!" He heard her voice as she opened the door and walked into the living room.

The pup ran towards his owner and began barking in relief. Ulquiorra waited until neither of them was looking at him to let out a sigh of relief.

"It's good to see you've returned safely. Has the trip proved fruitful?"

"Not exactly. Aizen did confirm our suspicions and I guess there will be no more nightmares. Still, I can't but feel we might be missing something."

"From the little, I have seen Urahara Kisuke seems to do well at adapting to difficult situations. Should anything unexpected arise the man will take care of it."

"That's true. I just hope he's isn't taken by surprise too. Anyway, I'm glad you were both waiting for me." Seeing two familiar faces after coming out of Muken made her feel safe. Being alone was never easy for her.

Before cooking lunch she made sure to check her phone only to let out a scream.

"What is it?" She heard Ulquiorra from all the way to the kitchen.

"It's Friday! I almost forgot I had a date with Kurosaki-kun! I need to call the girls!"

"Would you like for me to cook lunch so you can get ready?"

"No it's okay! I don't have to leave until 6:00 p.m. Let's have lunch I'll call them afterward."

"Very well."

* * *

  
He never understood why girls had the incessant need to squeal with happiness. Thankfully the woman had returned home and seemed to be I'm a better mood than before.

Her human friends had come running along with clothes and makeup and had stayed upstairs for about an hour by now.

Shizuka walked in with a box of hairpins and accessories. "From the ruckus up there I take it everyone else it's already here."

He nodded. "I assume you'll be dealing with the woman's final details?"

"Yeah, although it's a movie date I don't think she'll need to be too elegant. Besides I was thinking you might need some company instead of turning into a jealous bat."

"I am not jealous."

"Right, and I'm the new head captain. Once Orihime-Chan is gone you can drop by my house. I was going to make a video game night with the others. So if you need the company just drop by." With that, she left.

Upstairs Orihime felt like she was a princess being prepared for a ceremony. The girls had gone out of their way to make outfits and matching them to her hair and make up. Finally, they were done.

The girls settled with a short-sleeved pink shirt, a cream long skirt and jacket with red boots did Orihime's hair in a bun. Her pins were placed in the jacket and they used just a touch of makeup.

"There we go! Not too elegant but really cute none the less!" Ryo had been in charge of her hair and was looking proud. Mahona and Michiru finished applying a bit of blush and Tatsuki was taking photos, while keeping Chizuru from tackling Orihime. Shizuka smiled from the doorway waiting for Orihime to stand up and put on the final touches.

"Well, wish me luck!"

"Sure thing! Text us tomorrow!" The girls all exited the room, as they waved her goodbye. Tatsuki was the last to go winking at her before leaving.

Orihime was pleased with how she looked, although her nerves showed before she could even speak. 'You've got this! It's just a movie date with Kurosaki-kun!'

With one final look at the mirror, she sprinted downstairs to wait for Ichigo.  
Ulquiorra and Kukkapuro were both watching a movie, from what she saw it was one of those black and white monster movies.

Ulquiorra was the first to notice when she walked down. His eyes widened a little as if he was surprised. "I see the girls did a great job. You look very pretty."

"Thank you!"

Kukkapuro barked in approval and wagged his tail. Orihime gave him a pat on the head. "Are you sure you don't want me to cook before I leave?"

"It's fine. Concentrate on your date."

Before she could reply there was a knock on the door. She opened it to reveal a smiling Ichigo. He was dressed in a classy yet casual black shirt and jeans. "Hey Inoue, you ready?"

"Sure! See you later guys!" She waved goodbye to her roommates before stepping out.

* * *

  
Not five minutes passed after they left for Shizuka to call the house phone. "I just saw the guys leaving. You coming over?"

He really wasn't interested in playing video games, let alone interacting with the woman's human friends. Still, he was not one to spend his hours sulking like Nnoitra, and since Shizuka and Sado had proven to be good company he decided to go.

"I'll be there in a moment. Is it alright if I bring Kukkapuro?"

"Of course! I'll tell the girls to set up another controller."

He put on a jacket and picked up the pup. Kukkapuro seemed curious and maybe a tinge upset.

"Stop giving me that look. This is better than watching gothic films until she comes back."

The pup didn't give any response so he headed out.

* * *

  
So far she was glad their date was at the movies. Ichigo had chosen a movie adaptation of a manga they both really liked. Since it was the night the showing was full of teens and adults, so the screaming kids would not be a problem.

"You look great tonight." He told her with a smile.

Orihime felt herself blush as she tried to keep calm. "Thanks. You look great too."

Before they could talk more the movie started. The first few minutes were slow but soon there were many fight sequences coming.

"The hero looks so silly animated." she whispered to Ichigo.

He chuckled. "Yeah. He kinda looks like Kon."

As the movie went on they kept whispering their favorite parts to each other, how well they adapted the manga or just a silly comment.

By the end of the movie she was in tears, the main character had been out through so much horror and harshness that he descended into villainy. It was made worse by the fact that it was also the manga's ending so far. She glanced at Ichigo and saw that he was also getting emotional. The credits began rolling and the two stepped out of the room.

"That was so good, but the ending was so sad." Ichigo had gotten teary-eyed at the end of the movie and so had she.

"Yeah. I was hoping they'd change the ending. I guess they wanted to stay loyal to the manga."

"Maybe that was for the best, I don't think any other ending would have fit."

"That's true. So what do you wanna do now?" Orihime asked him.

"Let's go eat. What would you like?"

"There's a new pizza place down the street. Want to give it a try?"

"Sure, it's been a while since I've had pizza. The girls used to order it a lot, but I guess their tastes have changed over time.

She laughed at the mental image of Ichigo eating pizza with his baby sisters. Whenever she saw him with his family it made her love him more.

"How are they doing these days? They must be happy you're back home?"

"They are, the old man is happy too although he's less of a hugger and more of ninja. It's good to be back. Even after everything that's happened."

She could see his sweet smile being replaced by sadness. His powers were gone and there wasn't anything they could do. She would've been depressed too if she had lost her Rikka.

"Do you regret it?"

He looked at her in confusion. "I would never regret it, if that was the price to protect everyone then I'd pay it a thousand times." he paused for a moment. "I guess I'm just upset that it wasn't enough. If Aizen had been the end of it, I would not mind. We could all live our human lives in peace, but now another threat appears and I can't protect anyone. It's upsetting, to say the least."

Orihime took Ichigo's hand, he was startled but didn't let go. "I know you've always been the one to take protect us, that you'd give anything to do so. But sometimes you have to count on others to help you with that burden. I know we're not as strong as you, but this time we will protect you Kurosaki-kun. You can count on us. Always."

He smiled. "Thanks, Inoue-San. I'm glad to know you all have my back."

They reached the pizza place and went in. The two lost track of time as they ate and kept making jokes. For the first time since the war ended, she felt like things could go back to the way they were.

After dinner, Ichigo walked her home. The snow-covered streets were peaceful and quiet except for the crunching of the snow under their boots. After laughing so much she appreciated the quiet time with him. Just seeing him happy was enough to make her smile.

"I had so much fun today. Thank you," she told him trying not to blush.

"You're welcome. I had fun too. We should do this again."

Her face lit up. Finally some good happened after all this chaos. Orihime tried not to squeak as she answered. "That would be great."

"I'll call you soon then. Goodnight Inoue."

"Goodnight."

* * *

  
"I can't believe it! They won again!" Uryu threw his arms in exasperation. Ulquiorra remained quiet while the girls were all laughing hysterically.

"I can't believe they beat you again!" Chizuru fell off the couch in a fit of laughter.

The screen revealed two chibi-like characters that were similar to Chad and Shizuka doing a victory dance.

"You two have to be cheating!" Uryu accused.

"Nope. We just know how to kart race!" Shizuka grinned and high fived Chad.

Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow at them. Shizuka noticed and just stuck her tongue at him like a child.

"Ok! No way you two can beat me! C'mon Mahona we'll run them off the road." Tatsuki dragged her to get a controller and Mahona merely rolled her eyes.

This wasn't what he expected when Shizuka first invited him. He thought they would all sit in silence playing but from the moment they finished their first race, the room was in pandemonium. Chips flying everywhere along with cushions, and a confession of undying hatred for the 'blue shell' item.

He caught on quickly to the rules of the karting game, and so far he'd managed to beat everyone in a tag effort with Ishida Uryu. Sadly the Chad and Shizuka team remained victorious. Despite the protests and noise, he could tell the humans were enjoying themselves immensely. 'Had this been on Hueco Mundo the console would be broken after the first race and they'd be fighting each other bloody.' He was glad to enjoy the relaxing but vivid atmosphere of the human world.

After another hour of hijinks and racing the majority of the group headed out. He was about to go home himself, but then the woman arrived.

"There you guys are! I thought you might've been out."

He forgot to leave a note when they left. "My apologies I should have left a note."

Orihime giggled. "That's okay. I knew you'd be here."

"We babysat batsy for you. He's hard to beat in a race." Shizuka had picked up a new bowl of chips from the kitchen. Chad gave thumbs up response.

Ulquiorra glared at them for the batsy nickname. They just shrugged it off and went back to get the controllers. "Wanna race before you two have to go home?"

"Sure! It's been ages since I've played." She picked up the controller and looked at Ulquiorra. "Team up with me?" she asked him.

He nodded as they sat down. The race would take place in the hardest course of the game. Apparently, humans found it hilarious to put a go-kart track in space. The first two rounds were close, but by the third one he had figured out the woman's tactics. Unlike her friends she played defensively, saving items whenever possible and staying away from the other karts. He decided to play offensively, using his items quickly and trying to run Chad and Shizuka off the road whenever possible.

He noticed that whenever the others used an item against him Orihime would try to take the hit for him, and when he saw they were aiming at her he would use his items to block.

They were near the finish line, only seconds away from crossing it. Chad was in first place, followed by Orihime and he was struggling with Shizuka for third. Then he saw it. The woman had launched a blue shell and Chad's kart had fallen off the starry road. She crossed the line first.

Everyone remained quiet for a few seconds while realization sunk in. Finally, Shizuka broke the silence. "Damn blue shells!"

Orihime started laughing hysterically and Chad joined in. Shizuka sighed. "I guess we lost the 'undefeated title'. Uryu is gonna be happy about this."

Chad gave her a pat on the shoulder. "We'll win next time."

Orihime held back a giggle when she saw Shizuka's face turn red. Ulquiorra found it fitting. 'Serves you right for the batsy comment.'

"Well, I don't think I could have won without Ulquiorra's help. Had it not been for him I would have been forced to use the shell earlier than expected."

He was flattered. It didn't look they had a strategy, but apparently, it had worked well for both of them. "You should give yourself more credit. They did not shove you off the course. Unlike the first race." The image of the 5-way kart crash would haunt him.

"What? What me to shove you both off the course?" Shizuka grinned with the remote in her hand.

"Up for a rematch?" Chad asked them.

Ulquiorra looked at Orihime. She nodded. "You're on!"

* * *

  
Day and night passed differently when you were in your own pocket dimension, more so when working on quantum mechanics and hollow biology. The lab was a little messier than usual, but Anna didn't care as long as she was making progress.

She took yet another look at the board in front of her. The calculations were adding up, except for a few variables. She checked the readings for Soul Society and almost dropped the papers. According to the graphs, there had been an increase in pressure at Muken. It had been a momentary lapse, and only for today, but she knew. She always knew when it came to him.

Their wedding picture had been wedged into the corner of the board. Anna took it out and ran her fingers over his image. He had changed so much since then, and she still loved him all the same. "What could they have done to you, my love?"The memories of her execution came back and she shuddered. No. Souske Aizen was not a man to bend to those weaker than him, no matter what he would endure it. 'Rest easy love. We'll make them pay very soon."


	9. Falling Apart

© Bleach and its characters don't belong to me. They belong to Tite Kubo and Shonen Jump. Shizuka Fujiwara, and Anna Maria are the only characters I own.

**Chapter 9: Falling Apart**

Orihime made a mental note to never play video games until 3 a.m ever again. After they came back from Shizuka's house she was so tired she fell asleep on the dining room table. Ulquiorra was asleep on the couch and even Kukkapuro was snoring on the floor. She laughed at the image before her. 'For two members of an elite army, you two sure get sleepy.'

She would let them stay like that until it was time for them to go to work. The morning was peaceful and relaxing as usual, and she hadn't had any nightmares tonight. 'For once he kept his word.' Orihime didn't want to think about what happened in Muken, but she was sure it would come back to bite them soon. She drank her tea while looking out the window at the snowy city. 'I don't want her to destroy it.'

A yawn startled her. Kukkapuro had woken up and was making his way towards her.

"Hello Kukkapuro. Did you sleep well?"

The pup barked and wagged his tail. Orihime served him a bowl full of food and patted his head as he ate.

The soft chill of the snowy morning was beckoning her to sleep again. Kukkapuro finished his meal and barked in happiness.

"I'm glad you liked it. Now I've got to wake up your other owner."

Orihime walked towards the table to wake Ulquiorra. He looked so peaceful like that. His black lips were slightly parted as he breathed, his black hair was messy and his clothes were wrinkled.

In the time they've spent together she hadn't seen him sleep so peacefully. Like a dark version of a princely sleeping beauty.

She touched his shoulder softly. "Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra wake up."

He opened his eyes slowly, still half asleep. Orihime chuckled. "Somebody is still snoozing. Good morning Ulquiorra."

"Good morning woman, did you sleep well?"

"Yes. Thanks for asking. How about you? Are you well rested?"

He nodded. Orihime gave him his breakfast and went to change into the work uniform.

***

Thankfully they arrived at the bakery in time. Ulquiorra made a mental note to refuse Shizuka next time she asked for a rematch. 'That woman is persuasive. Perhaps she and Aizen would have made good in-laws.' He caught himself thinking about Lord Aizen and Anna more often than usual. Perhaps because of the woman's words, at the time he tried to reassure her, but he also doubted Anna planned to invade Karakura out of spite, or for an object she could not use. 'It does not make sense.' If they returned to Hueco Mundo soon he would ask Tercera to gather information. A bell brought him back to reality, they were both still working so he tried to not get distracted again.

The woman was at the cash register, greeting everyone with her lovely smile. He was relieved she felt better again. Especially after the nightmares about the fire, and whatever Lord Aizen had sent.

"Ulquiorra-Kun! We need those cupcakes now!" Their boss, Mrs. Chiyo, called him from the from the cashier area.

He took the trays off the oven and carried them to the front area. Then he noticed how full the bakery was. The woman was serving and charging the costumers. Still, she didn't stop smiling.

Chiyo took the trays from him. "Thanks dear." The elderly woman reminded him of Barragan, old in age and image but possessing the strength of a youth. "Could you help Inoue-Chan at the register? We been having a busy morning."

"Yes ma'am."

"Thank you. I'll set these up at the display."

Before he could respond there was a pull of pressure on the area. He felt as if there was an increase in the spiritual energy of the city, it wasn't her or any of her hollows. That must've meant it was the shinigami reinforcements.

"They're here." the woman whispered. That was all the confirmation he needed. They continued their work as if nothing had happened, but they both knew what it meant.

* * *

 

Six agonizing hours later both she had Ulquiorra finished their shift. As always, Chiyo miscalculated and baked too much bread and treats, she gave the extra to them. "I know they won't go to waste." she would tell them.

The pair rushed home as fast as possible. Shizuka had left a note by the door:

'The reinforcements have arrived. We'll be discussing the plans today at 7:00 P.M. at my house. Wear something comfy (Tell batsy not to wear his Batman t-shirt.) Love, Shizuka'

Orihime chuckled at the note, Ulquiorra was not amused. Kukkapuro was waiting to greet them at the door. While Orihime petted him Ulquiorra put away they baskets of pastries that Chiyo gave them. She had noticed that they had it down to a routine already. Getting ready in the morning, going to work or having leisure time on their free days and going to sleep at night. When they first came back Orihime was worried this mundane existence would bore him, but to her surprise, Ulquiorra seemed to enjoy this more than his life at Las Noches.

After dinner, they got ready to meet with the others. The second they stepped through Shizuka's door Orihime was tackled by a familiar figure. "Orihime-Chan!"

"Rangiku-San!" Orihime returned the hug even if they both almost fell down. When Rangiku let her go she noticed the blonde shinigami was close to crying.

"I've missed you so much! We have lots of catching up to do!"

"We do! I'm glad to see you again."

"Ah it seems Orihime-Chan has made it home safely!" She recognized that voice instantly. In the middle of the living room stood Ichimaru Gin in a human gigai.

"Gin stop being creepy! Now go help Shizuka in the kitchen!" Rangiku scolded him.

"About that, Shizuka-Chan and Izuru-Chan have banished me from the kitchen. Something about poisoning the food, and letting Hitsugaya-Kun keep an eye on me."

"You're not wrong on that assumption."

Orihime's spotted Histugaya and Hinamori sitting on the dining room table Hitsugaya and Momo were glaring at Gin while Rangiku rolled her eyes.

"Guys leave my boyfriend alone! We don't need any extra fights."

Orihime had to hold back a chuckle. She missed having Hitsugaya and Rangiku around.

"If you guys are tearing up my living room I will lock you up in Urahara's basement! Play nice!" Shizuka's voice was heard from the kitchen and everyone went quiet again. "Thanks!"

The rest of the group arrived a few minutes later. Kannonji had shown up with most of the Karakuraizer team, along with Uryu and Chad.

The squad 3 members came out of the kitchen with the food and began setting everything up. "Where are Ichigo and Tatsuki?" Shizuka asked.

"They stayed back at Ichigo's house. Tatsuki asked him to explain everything before coming here. It might take a while."

'It will.' For the longest time, Orihime debated whether or not she should explain everything that had happened to Tatsuki. She didn't want to put her best friend at risk or confuse her further with the explanations. Now that Tatsuki was a member of the Karakuraizer like Chizuru and Keigo, she was ready to hear everything, and who better than Ichigo himself to answer her questions.

"What about you guys? Didn't you want an explanation?" She asked Keigo.

He just shrugged. "We're in no rush. We'll take one crisis at a time."

She nodded. Hopefully, now her friends would not feel neglected. The day she left for Hueco Mundo she heard them admitting to their loneliness. 'It's okay. It'll be different this time.'

"Okay then, I'll be sure to catch Ichigo and Tatsuki up tomorrow morning." Shizuka brought in her whiteboard which had a gigantic map of a Karakura drawn on it. "Here's the plan. Captain Otoribashi and Vice-captain Kira will be stationed at the Vizards warehouse which is up at North." Shizuka pointed to one of the pins placed on the map.

"Hachigen-San and the other Vizards have already agreed to set the first part of the kido trap there." She moved to the right side of the board. "Now, Kanonji-Sensei and the majority of his team live on the east side of Karakura. The second part of the kido trap is set near his house, Captain Hitsugaya and Vice-captain Hinamori you'll be stationed there with Kanonji-Sensei."

"I have acquired new pupils!" Kanonji declared. Everyone in the room rolled their eyes.

"Sure thing sensei. The third part of the trap will be set in the Urahara Shop on the west side of town, it'll be in charge of Tessai-San. Finally the last part of the kido trap will be set here in South Karakura. Rangiku and I will be in charge of it. These four traps cover the entire city, there's no way the hollow will get here undetected. I'll also point out that the center of the city is the safest place, given that it's the point where all the traps interconnect. If there's any need to evacuate the population bring them here. When the trap takes full effect the hollow will be weakened enough for us to kill it. Any questions?"

Chizuru raised her hand which earned her a small giggle from Shizuka. "Yes Chizuru-San?"

"How will we know when this hollow arrives? He could act like a normal hollow."

"Trust me dear, you'll know. This hollow is unlike any of the small fry we usually deal with. I would advise keeping away until the kido trap takes effect and we can dispose of it. Any other questions?"

Since nobody else said anything Shizuka moved the board away. "Okay then, if you guys need anything else or want further explanations I'll be happy to oblige. Now let's party!"

* * *

 

"Leave it to Shizuka-Chan to turn bad news into a party. By the way, I didn't know you made it out alive Ulquiorra-Kun."

Not even an hour had passed and Ulquiorra was already growing tired of his old superior.

"The woman saved me, had it not been for her I would not be alive right now."

Orihime blushed. "You give me too much credit Ulquiorra."

"Nonsense. Your abilities are worthy of praise."

Again Orihime blushed which made Gin and Rangiku laugh. "I told ya you were amazing." Rangiku hugged her friend.

"Thanks guys."

"Since we are on the topic of survival, how did you escape Lord Aizen's wrath?" He asked Gin.

Gin shrugged. "Actually I didn't 'scape. Lord Aizen almost killed me, thankfully Captain Unohana patched me up pretty good. Course now I'm under the heavy watch of Squad 10."

He noticed the short white haired Captain that was keeping a close eye on Gin. 'Good. Maybe he'll be less of a nuisance now.'

"Be glad Captain Hitsugaya accepted the request. Otherwise, you'd be keeping Aizen company." Rangiku rested her head on Gin's shoulder. From what Ulquiorra could observe this was the woman Gin often talked about.

"Don't remind me. Can't believe that Anna-San is also alive."

"Did you know her back before she was 'killed'?" Orihime asked.

"Yah, she was a real sweetheart. Often made extra grub for Rangiku and me." He chuckled. "I was in the Squad barracks the night they supposedly killed her. Captain Hirako just made a remark that she was bein' punished, probably cuz of Aizen. So Lord Aizen ran out of the barracks like a flash, and was gone for hours. When he came back his hands were covered in blood, and his voice was hoarse. Never seen him like that since then, think that was the only time I ever felt sympathy for that bastard."

Ulquiorra remembered that day. He, Szayel, and Jeanne were called from their chambers to deal with an emergency. He had to stand guard in front of the laboratory doors in case Grimmjow or any of the other nosy troublemakers wanted to get in, while Szayel and Jeanne tended to Anna. He didn't know what they did but from the way she was screaming, he knew it had to be painful. Aizen waited outside along with him. It was the only time he had seen him completely enraged.

When Jeanne came out of the lab she said Anna's wounds were healed but that they had to operate and make a blood transfusion. Along with other complications...

"Ulquiorra?" The woman's voice startled him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He didn't say anything but Gin seemed to read the look in his eyes. Neither of them discussed the topic further.

"Do you guys want drinks?" Shizuka was carrying a tray of colorful drinks and placed it on the coffee table.

Gin was the only one who took a drink. Orihime seemed surprised. "Rangiku-San, you're not gonna drink?"

"Oh that's right, I haven't told you guys! Shizuka could you call the others? I have to make an announcement."

"Sure thing. Hey, everyone, Rangiku is going to tell us something! So listen up."

Once the whole group was reunited Rangiku smiled and cleared her throat. "I know it might seem a little early but since Captain Unohana confirmed it, I'm happy to tell you that Gin and I are expecting a baby!"

The silence was so deep that you could hear a pin drop. Then the squeals began.

Orihime was the first to hug Rangiku. "I'm so happy for you guys!"

"Thanks sweetie!"

Everyone had a smile on their face except for the short captain who had fainted.

"I think Shiro-Chan is surprised." Momo had to hold him up.

"It's Captain Hitsugaya!"

"Oh look, he's up!" Rangiku smiled. "I suppose it's too early to ask you to be the family babysitter?"

"Matsumoto! How did this happen?"

"Um...Well, when two people love each other very much-"

Toshiro cut her off. "I know how it happened! A child with you and Ichimaru's DNA..." he shuddered.

"It's not so bad Shiro-Chan! You'll have a baby sibling!"

"It's Captain Hitsugaya!"

* * *

 

It didn't take long for everyone to get drunk. Rose had to carry Kira away before they left, Keigo, Uryu, and Chizuru were left to deal with Kannonji, and Momo had to calm a very miffed Hitsugaya. Chad and Ulquiorra headed for the kitchen to finish the snacks, while the rest of the group remained in the living room.

"And here I thought I was the biggest wreck of all. Guess I can hold my liquor." Shizuka chuckled.

"Oh honey, if I was drinking then I'd be the worst." Rangiku laughed.

"Hitsugaya-Kun seemed mad. You think it'll be okay?"

"He'll get over it. Captain Hitsugaya and Gin have never gotten along too well, even before the war. The Captain's just being protective. Besides foxy boy here's the one to blame!" She pointed to Gin who had fallen asleep on her lap.

The girls chuckled. "I'm glad you're back. I had so much fun when you two were here."

"Aww I've missed being around you too, it's nice having some girls to talk to. Momo has only recently recovered, and our WSRA meetings were getting a bit dull. So I'll be sure to spend time with you two."

The girls chuckled. Rangiku caught Orihime up to what her Soul Reaper friends were up to, it hadn't been long but she did miss everyone else greatly.

"I think that's about it. How about you girlies? How's everyone here doing?"

"We're all doing pretty well. Although Kurosaki-Kun seems to be sad he can't help us out this time. It's unfair that after doing so much during the war he's not going to fight alongside us."

"I know what you mean, Ichigo's always been a protective fighting cookie. Squad 11 is probably missing him like crazy. I would not worry too much, he's a tough guy. I know he'll be better soon."

She hoped Rangiku was right. While she could tell Kurosaki-Kun was certainly happy, she could also see his sadness. Especially because of his inability to protect them.

"Speaking of Ichigo, I've heard you are dating our favorite strawberry! How was it?"

Orihime blushed as she remembered her previous date. "It was really nice. We went to a see a movie adaptation of our favorite manga, then we ate some pizza and he walked me home. It was really fun."

"Aww, that's so sweet! When are you going out again?"

"I'm not sure. With all of this going on. I'll wait until he calls me."

Just as Rangiku was about to respond Shizuka's cell phone began ringing. She picked up immediately. "Hello?"

Her face went blank for a second before she responded. "Yeah. Ok, I'll tell them. Yes. Goodnight."

"Who was that?"

"Lieutenant Sasakibe. Apparently, some books have disappeared from my family's library."

"But, aren't Fujiwara's the only ones who can access the library."

Shizuka nodded. "Adopted Fujiwaras can also enter the library."

There was a deep silence in the room, nobody wanted to say what they all knew.

"How did she get in undetected? Wouldn't the people in the mansion have sensed her?"

"Apparently she used forbidden kido. She can go around undetected."

Orihime swallowed. This new information was not good. If Anna could go around as she pleased undetected that meant she could sneak up on them.

"I think I'm gonna go home now. I'll see you girls tomorrow." After saying her goodbyes Orihime headed for the kitchen to get Ulquiorra. He and Chad were seemingly deep in conversation.

"Sorry to interrupt you guys, but it's getting late."

Ulquiorra glanced at the clock at the wall and stood up. "You are correct, we must head home. Can we continue this conversation later?" He said to Chad.

The taller man just gave a thumbs up and headed for the living room alongside them.

Kukkapuro was sleeping beside the door. Orihime picked him up before leaving, hoping the puppy would stay asleep.

"Bye, everyone! Goodnight!"

* * *

 

Ever since they came back from the party he noticed the woman was distressed.

"Is something wrong?" He asked her.

"Anna snuck into the Soul Society. They didn't detect her, she could use this to sneak on us."

Those were troubling news. 'Of course, it was only a matter of time before she tried something like this.'

"That is troublesome. I suppose we must be on our guard."

"I just wish things wouldn't be so complicated. The closer we are to stopping her, the worst she becomes."

"It's understandable that your frustrated, still this is to be expected. I wouldn't be surprised if she comes up with other schemes to torment us."

"I was afraid you'd say that. I'm going to bed. Let's hope tomorrow is a bit calmer. Goodnight Ulquiorra."

"Goodnight."

* * *

 

Another week went by, Ulquiorra noticed that the woman wasn't as worried as last time, even if she spaced out every once in a while.

At last, they received more news from Kisuke Urahara. He wanted everyone to meet at his shop to discuss training.

"Can't believe it's getting so cold!" Orihime was putting small snow boots on Kukkapuro's paws. Despite telling her that the cold would not bother the small hollow, she wanted to keep him toasty.

"We better get there early. The others must be on their way."

"Right! Then let's go."

The walk to the Urahara Shop seemed especially long with all the snow, but at least Orihime and Kukkapuro were having fun.

Just as they were about to reach the store when they saw Ichigo and Tatsuki heading for the shop from the other side of the street.

The pair was deep in conversation. They didn't even notice Orihime waving at them. "Maybe we should go in."

Before they could do that Ulquiorra noticed that Kurosaki and Tatsuki were no longer talking, but rather that they were kissing.

Maybe walking early to the meeting was a bad idea after all...

* * *

 

At first, she thought it was a dream, maybe she had too much to eat before bed. But no, this was real. Her crush and her best friend we're sharing a kiss. They didn't even notice she was there, or anything else for that matter.

After the kiss, they both looked happy, but their expression soon faded into guilt. That was the last thing she remembered.

Orihime wasn't sure when Ulquiorra managed to make her enter the store, or when the others were arriving. It was as if she shut down only to awake when everyone had arrived in the room.

"So we're all here! That's good. I'm sorry I called on such short notice. You see given the recent events it's clear we need to prepare better for Anna's attack."

The group remained silent, nodding in agreement. Urahara explained that they would be able to use his training basement or the one in the Vizard hideout. The goal of training for the Shinigami was for them to achieve Bankai, given that it was likely Anna had already achieved and mastered hers.

"There's one more thing, I'm going to ask Inoue-san and Kurosaki-san to step away from the battle."

'No.' she thought. One time was enough. She wasn't going to deal with all of this again. The last time they told her to step aside she was taken by the enemy. If her friends hadn't come to save her... 'I would still be there, Soul Society thought I was a traitor. They would have left me there to rot.'

"I refuse."

This wasn't the reaction they were expecting. She could see Chad ready to defend her like he did the before. She silently thanked him, but this time she was going to defend herself.

"I'm not going to step away from this battle. My attack powers are intact, so are my shields and healing abilities. I refuse to stay back."

Urahara didn't look angry, he looked like he expected some retaliation. Before he could respond Orihime felt somebody hold her hand. It was Ichigo.

"Inoue, it's better this way. It's too dangerous for us to go into battle."

In other circumstances, she would have been pleased. Her beloved Kurosaki-kun holding her hand and reassuring her, she often daydreamed about moments like this. Now she was sure those daydreams were over.

Orihime snatched her hand not too gently. "No, it's not! Need I remind you that I fought in Hueco Mundo! Last time you told me to get out of the way I accepted it because I genuinely thought that would be better, but that's not going to working anymore. I'm not in the way. I can fight, and that's exactly what I will do."

"Orihime-chan we are just worried about you." Tatsuki was walking towards her, probably for a hug, but she didn't want to be near her now.

"As worried as you were when you and Ichigo kissed?"

She saw their faces drain of color, both stunned and silent. "Inoue let us explain-"

She raised her hand in front of Ichigo. "I don't care what either of you has to say! If you didn't like me or wanted to date me then you shouldn't have asked me out!" she turned to Tatsuki. "We've been best friends since middle school. If you liked Ichigo why didn't you tell me?! I've always been honest with you!"

"Honest? You didn't tell me about all of this Shinigami business until now! Do you know how worried I was when you disappeared?! Then the others vanished too and we were left here without knowing if we'd ever see you again!"

She felt guilty, leaving Tatsuki and her other friends alone. It wasn't fair, but what could she do? "I wasn't allowed to tell anyone anything! I knew you'd be sad, or angry, but if I had told you then you would have been in even bigger peril!"

"Inoue, we didn't mean to hurt you."

"Of course not! You never mean it, do you?! I really liked you Ichigo. I'm sure you would have noticed if you weren't so dense! I didn't mind waiting for you, listening to you, you telling me to step aside, I could endure it all for your sake! Now, even after proving to you that I can fight you want to push me aside again?!"

"I'm trying to keep you safe! Ishida and I didn't even see you fighting in Hueco Mundo!"

He was calling her a liar. After all she did for him. For a second she considered slapping him, but then she felt Ulquiorra place his hand on her shoulder.

"If I may interrupt. The woman did fight with me once I had knocked you and UryuIshida out. She did not defeat me but did cut through my skin before you could even touch me. I suggest you don't make claims you cannot support, Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Everyone why don't we calm down." Shizuka was trying to ease the tension. It didn't matter, Orihime had enough.

"Don't bother Shizuka-San. If I'm not allowed to train I have no reason to be here."

She walked away from the shop ignoring the repeated calls of her name.

* * *

 

It wasn't until she was far from the shop that she noticed Kukkapuro and Ulquiorra catching up with her.

"Guys I thought you were going to stay and train."

"There's no reason for us to stay there without you. It does seem like you would like some company."

She smiled. "Yes. Thank you."

The walk back home was quiet. It wasn't until she was lighting up a fire that she noticed she was crying. Kukkapure whined and curled up on her leg.

"Woman?" she turned to look at Ulquiorra. His eyes were softer than usual, he sat on the floor with her. "I'm aware my knowledge of emotions is very limited. Still, if you'd like to talk

about this, I'm more than willing to listen."

"I just feel so betrayed. If they had been honest with me, I would have understood. For the longest time, they were the most important people in my life and now...I don't even want to look at them."

Ulquiorra nodded. Silently listening to her small rant. She tried to devise any sign of boredom or exasperation, but he remained calm and attentive.

"Worst of all is that I can't train now. Maybe I should just stay out of the battle."

"No." his tone startled her. He sounded just like the first time she met him. A voice with authority and force.

"You will not be forced out of the battle. Especially not due to lack of training. Kurosaki Ichigo has lost his powers, you however still have your amazing abilities. Back in the canopy, you were able to hold your own against my second form, and you obtained new variations of power. With proper guidance, I can guarantee you'll become stronger. I'll personally train you if I have to, just as long as you truly realize your worth Orihime Inoue."

Before he could finish talking she was already crying, once he was done she jumped into his arms and hugged him. Ulquiorra tensed for a moment but returned the hug.

"Thank you, Ulquiorra. I'm so glad you believe in me."

She heard a soft bark and realized Kukkapuro was frowning at her. Seemingly saying that he believed in her too.

Orihime pulled him into the hug too. They stayed like that for a while. She decided the first thing she needed to do was stop crying, but that would wait until tomorrow, today she'd let herself feel sad.

There was a knock on the door. "Orihime-Chan! It's Rangiku and the girls! Can we come in?"

"Yes. Come in." She stood up drying her tears.

Rangiku came in. She was carrying a bag full of ice cream containers and gummy bears. Shizuka and Chizuru came in with a bunch of DVD's. "We figured you might need some cheering up. Chad lent us some telenovelas to cry over, and I bought my favorite treat for sad days. Are you up for it?"

Orihime giggled. Truly the girls knew how bad she needed some laughs. "Sure I'd love to, but what about your training?"

"We skipped out. You're more important." Chizuru went in for a hug. "I can't stand to see my goddess cry! If you want I can still punch Tatsuki."

"No. I don't even want to think about them right now. Let's just focus on having fun."

* * *

 

"I don't get. Why do these telenovela villains all have secret twin sisters." Rangiku said as she served herself an extra bowl of gummy bears and ice cream.

Orihime seemed to be getting better. she wasn't crying anymore and was giggling at the screen along with Shizuka and Rangiku. Shizuka noticed that while he was also watching the t.v screen Ulquiorra often glanced at Orihime. 'Batsy is too obvious.' She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and discretely made her way outside.

"Hello?"

"Shizuka, It's Chad."

"Hey, how are Ichigo and Tatsuki doing?"

"They're being eaten alive by guilt. How's Inoue?"

"She's doing pretty well. I think Ulquiorra did most of the work for us. Thanks for lending me your DVD's they're really helping."

"No problem."

"Hey Chad, can I ask you something?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"This isn't the first time she's been pulled out of the battle, is it?"

She heard him sigh at the other side. "No. I was there the first time too. Still, I couldn't convince Urahara today either. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. I have a feeling Inoue won't just sit around without a fight."


	10. Akai

© Bleach and its characters don't belong to me. They belong to Tite Kubo and Shonen Jump (Only Anna and Shizuka belong to me)

**Chapter 10: Akai**

"Woman wake up. We must leave."

Orihime felt someone gently shaking her by the shoulder. She had a horrible headache, her eyes feel heavy and she still felt drained. Her mind quickly drifted back to yesterday's events. 'No wonder I feel like a zombie.'

"Ulquiorra? What time is it?"

"It is 7:00 in the morning. I have found a way to help you train."

"Really? What are we going to do?"

"We shall train in Hueco Mundo."

* * *

No matter how many times she traveled via garganta she still felt dizzy afterward. The throne room was empty when they arrived.

"Should we call for someone?"

"There's no need. They'll realize we are here soon enough."

Just as Ulquiorra finished talking Orihime saw Jeanne heading towards them. The female arrancar wasn't wearing her usual nurse uniform. She had a sports shirt and shorts and her blue hair was tied in a messy bun.

"Hey guys! I was wondering when you'd visit. What brings you here?"

"We have come here to train. The woman particularly wants to perfect her offensive abilities."

"That's great! The girls and I were just sparring down at the basement. If you guys want we can all train together."

"I'd like that."

* * *

  
He had to admit that Halibel had done a fantastic job at keeping Las Noches spotless. The training facilities were still functional. They consisted of many wide white rooms with glass windows. The rooms were indestructible and allowed for the arrancars to use their release forms.

Mila Rose and Cyan were both in release form. From what he could gather the tanned Arrancar was getting the upper hand in the battle, as she was quick to evade the constant attacks of Cyan's snake tail.

"Who's winning?" Jeanne asked Apacci.

"Cyan has been on top for a while, but Mila is close to turning it around. They both look tired as hell."

The fight continued as Mila kept evading Cyan's attacks. The snake Arrancar changed her approached and lunged towards her opponent trying to capture her with her long sleeves. Mila took this as a chance to attack grabbing Cyan's sleeves and pulling her close enough to punch her in the stomach.

The green haired arrancar crashed into the wall. The impact was strong enough to nearly knock her out. "I yield." she muttered.

Jeanne opened the door to the room and began healing Cyan.

"Sorry about that. I overdid it." Mila begrudgingly apologized.

"Please, this won't even leave a bruise. Next time I'll get you."

"Girls! No more fighting! I need to patch you up before I continue training. Now hush and let your sexy nurse take care of business."

Everyone was so distracted they didn't notice Halibel and Nnoitra had come into the training room.

"For the last time Nnoitra, I have no interest in fighting you."

"C'mon Halibel! Ya afraid I'll take the throne if I win?"

Halibel rolled her eyes at his sly grin. "On the contrary Nnoitra. I'd fear for your health if we were to duel."

Seeing how his old comrades were getting on each other's nerves Ulquiorra intervened. "If you stop pestering Tercera I shall fight with you."

The two of them were startled when they heard his voice. "It's good to see you again Ulquiorra. What brings you here?"

"The woman and I would like to train here with the other Arrancars."

"Very well. I'm sure we still have your old training uniform. As for Orihime I'm sure I can find something that'll be comfortable for her."

"Thank you."

"Thanks Halibel-San."

The female arrancar nodded in acknowledgment as she left to get the uniforms.

Jeanne had finished healing Mila and Cyan, leaving the training room empty. "Okay then, if you are going to fight with Nnoitra I will spar with Orihime-San!" Jeanne turned towards Orihime. "You ok with this dearie?"

"Yes. Thanks again for agreeing."

"No problem."

* * *

 

Once they got their uniforms ready, the pair headed into a different training room. He waited until Orihime was out of sight to go into the training room.

"Still keeping an eye on Pet-Sama, eh?"

He chose to ignore Nnoitra's comments. While he knew the woman would do well in her fight, he was concerned about her emotional state. She had been doing well yesterday, didn't cry much, spent time with her friends and even slept all night without any troubles. Still, he could see she was far from healed.

In the short amount of time they spent together he could begin to read her moods, sometimes he even emphasized with her. The eagerness for payday at the job, her fondness for cute things, he was even picking up her habit of spacing out, not that he'd ever admit to it. When he woke her up today she looked just as torn apart, but trying to keep it together.

"Do not concern yourself with the woman. Worry about your battle with me, then we can talk."

The tall Arrancar grinned. "Suit yourself."

* * *

  
"What would you like to concentrate on first? We can do healing, defense or offense."

"Offense. I've never trained offensively, so it would be best to start with that."

Jeanne raised an eyebrow. "You've never trained for battle and yet you went against Ulquiorra? Darn girlie, you are really brave."

Orihime was embarrassed by the compliment but smiled at her friend. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Alright, since we are gonna do offensive training I want you to draw your weapon. Since I do not know the extent your attack capabilities I'll start off slow. We'll just go up from there."

Orihime nodded. "Megami no Ha, I reject!" The golden blade formed in her hands. She saw Jeanne taking out her sword. 'I wonder what resurreción form she has...' Perhaps if she did well enough Jeanne would have to use her release form.

"Whenever you're ready." Jeanne told her.

She ran towards the Arrancar, gripping her sword tightly. Jeanne blocked her swings elegantly. After a while, Orihime began to feel tired. Then the Arrancar grinned.

"Cero."

Jeanne's eyes changed from clear blue to a dark blue glow.

"Shiten Koshun, I reject!" The shield emerged in the nick of time, completely blocking out the cero. Then the blast was reflected towards Jeanne, who bearly had time to dodge it.

"That's what I wanna see! You shielded yourself and then threw it back at me! That was great!"

"I didn't think it was much. I was just surprised, and a little tired." she confessed.

"That's exactly what I was trying to do. Anna is more of the type to save her tricks for when she's sure the enemy won't be able to escape." Jeanne sat down on the floor and Inoue followed suit. "You did well except for one thing, using too many attacks and counter-attacks, also you didn't block me until I used the cero."

"I guess I'm used to seeing everyone else attack without ever blocking."

"There needs to be a balance between defense and attack. If you keep throwing attacks at your enemy endlessly then you'll get tired and they'll lunge at you without a problem. Not to mention they'll know exactly how to deal with you."

Orihime bit her lip and nodded. 'That's just what I was doing.' her hands were still shaking from using her sword so much.

"Similarly, if all you do is block your opponent might be tired and you can strike. That is, if they don't have a trick up their sleeve. If instead of swinging your sword you had only blocked I would be worn down, but once you lowered your shield I would have used the cero."

Orihime nodded. She remembered her battle with Ulquiorra. How he kept using his spear to his advantage. It kept her away, which was defensive of him, but at the same time it was an effective attack weapon. She had to plan out in her head how to do something similar.

"So, if I wanted to beat you. Then I would have to make sure you're both tired and powerless."

"Yeah, or you know just do something drastic enough that I would be knocked out. If you use your blade too much it will drain you, but if you keep your shield up for too long then it'll shatter. Mix it up a bit and I think you'll take me down."

The girls resumed their fight. This time Orihime tried to swing her sword less, relying on her shield a little more.

For a while she did well, balancing the use of her shield and her sword. Jeanne saw that Orihime had grown accustomed to this pace so she decided to make things more difficult.

"Bala."

Orihime hadn't forgotten what that word meant. She quickly put up her shields and tried her best to stay calm.

The smaller yet numerous ceros were fast, they damaged her shield little by little, and forced her to concentrate her energy solely into the shields.

Orihime noticed Jeanne had used sonido, she was nowhere in sight. The sudden pull of spiritual pressure behind her prompted Orihime to extend her shield into a bubble.

One second too late and the Arrancar would have been able to strike her from behind. Orihime knew there wasn't much she could do in her bubble, she had to think fast..

'A cero requires her to stay still, and it drains her energy. If I can get her to fire another cero and take her down before she fires...'

As her bubble began to crack, Orihime began putting her plan into action. The yellow bubble shattered into little pieces around her, she jumped out of the bubble before it fully disappeared.

"Shiten Koshun, I reject!" As she set up the reflective shield she knew Jeanne would try to attack her where the shield didn't protect her. When the female Arrancar flashed before her. Orihime knew what to do. She took a deep breath before putting her plan into motion.

'Ready Tsubaki?' She mentally asked her Rikka spirit.

'Ready!'

"Koten Zanshun, I reject!"

Instead of only one small light, Orihime released many attacks simultaneously, coping the bala style of the arrancars.

Her little trick worked. Jeanne was overwhelmed by the many tiny lights, as she stood in place to charge her cero Orihime ran towards her as fast as she could. So far Jeanne didn't notice her presence.

She didn't make a sound as she stood behind the arrancar. Jeanne seemed to have noticed her now, but it was too late. She turned around to swing her sword at Orihime, but she already had her own sword ready to block. In the few seconds that the Arrancar had dropped her guard many of the 'Koten Zanshun' lights had hit her.

"Fuck! I'm going to call it a day, that attack of yours can really sting." she muttered as she fell to her knees.

Orihime chuckled and held her up. "Soten Kisshun, I reject!"

The yellow light covered them both, and quickly healed their wounds.

"Thanks Inoue-San." Jeanne stretched a little after she was healed. "I'm glad we could do this. It was fun."

"I had fun too. Do you think I did well?"

"Absolutely. I wasn't sure what you would do, but I'll admit it took me a while to catch on. Your attacks are powerful, but I'm sure we can make em more lethal. I also like that you can think and block at the same time, it's a precious skill. You're full of fighting potential dearie, we just need to bring all of it out!"

This wasn't the response she was used to. Everyone always thought she was too weak, despite having a black belt in karate and spiritual powers. She felt tears creeping on her eyes as she hugged her friend. "Thank you Jeanne-San."

The arrancar girl blinked in confusion but returned the hug warmly. "You're welcome." When they separated she could see the sadness on Orihime's eyes. 'This isn't just about the fight.'

She wrapped an arm around Inoue. "C'mon, let's check on Ulquiorra and Nnoitra."

* * *

  
As infuriating as Nnoitra was Ulquiorra had to admit the man was good fighter.

The two were already in release form and completely exhausted. After regenerating limbs one too many times they decided to finish the duel. Much to Nnoitra's chagrin.

"For the record, if we kept fighting you would have totally had to use your second form."

Ulquiorra rolled his eyes. "Sure."

Before he could make his way to the exit, the woman entered the room. She was unharmed but her hair was messy and her clothes had been torn during training.

"Ulquiorra!" She ran up to him and hugged him. "Jeanne-San says I'm doing really well!"

He looked at the tan arrancar leaning on the door. She nodded in confirmation. "Our girlie is amazing. She just needs proper training in offense."

He was relieved by hearing those words. It wasn't a surprise, as he knew what she was truly capable of, still, he wanted everyone else to acknowledge it.

He petted her head. "Those are excellent news. I suspect we'll see more progress in your training soon." He could see Jeanne and Nnoitra grinning and just glared at them. 'They're just as irritable as Shizuka.'

The woman noticed both he and Nnoitra's wounds she cast her healing spell over them, and in a matter of seconds, they were back to normal.

"Everyone we've got a small problem." Appaci walked through the door with a worried expression.

"What is it?" He asked, hoping that it was not a surprise attack.

"Come with me."

Appaci led them out of the training rooms and into the Espada's quarters. More specifically Yammy's quarters. The room was as empty as he had always seen it, with the exception of a weeping Kukkapuro laying on Yammy's bed.

"Oh Kukkapuro." The woman said tenderly. She sat on the bed and the pup immediately settled into her lap, still whining like a normal dog.

"I been trying to get him out of the room, but he wouldn't listen."

Jeanne sighed. "I guess he missed Yammy."

Ulquiorra still didn't understand why the pup would miss such an owner. He should be happy, Yammy never paid him much attention and he was not affectionate either, now he had a comfortable life with them in Karakura. 'And yet he still misses him.'

"I'm sorry buddy, we should have brought you back sooner." The woman patted his head softly as the pup cried. "I know it's rough, but the best thing you can do now it's living well. For him."

The words appeased Kukkapuro as he stood in his back paws and began shaking his tail.

"Yes. We'll be with you too."

At last, Kukkapuro fell asleep a few minutes after the woman spoke to him. Despite seeing her cheer people up often he was always fascinated by the way she calmed under her sweet smile.

"I think we're done here." she said as she stood up wit Kukkapuro in her hands.

He had no doubts in her fighting capabilities, still, Ulquiorra would remain firm in the belief that Orihime's greatest strength was her kindness.

* * *

  
She wanted to go home soon, but seeing how the girls wanted them to rest up from the training, Orihime didn't refuse them.

They led her up to a white marble room with various pools. It looked a lot like a fancy bathhouse.

Halibel was already there with Cyan and Mila, all of them wearing white fluffy towels.

"Orihime-San, how was training?" Halibel asked her.

"It was great! Jeanne is a nice teacher, I had fun."

"I'm glad. The ladies and I were just discussing the training schedule, do you want to hear the details?"

"Yes. I'm just going to change. Be right back."

Once she was in a towel Orihime joined the other girls in the bath. The water was warm and steamy, almost putting her to sleep.

"Relaxing, isn't it?" Halibel asked her.

"Yes." Orihime giggled. "I feel much better now."

"Good to hear. Now ladies here's the schedule for the next week. We'll be having group sessions on Tuesdays. It's not likely for Anna to attack Hueco Mundo, but should that happen we need to work well in cooperation, and this will also give us a chance to see where we are lacking and help each other. On Thursdays, we'll have one on one battles. Is this okay?"

The rest of the group nodded in approval. Given that the decision was unanimous the girls decided to spend the time relaxing.

"Halibel-San, did anyone else make it back, after the war?" Orihime wasn't sure why she asked, perhaps Kukkapuro's reaction stirred her emotions.

Halibel placed a hand on her bone chin. "Hmm if I recall correctly Grimmjow, a few fracciones, and a child arrancar did show up. However they said they'd leave Las Noches to explore the rest of Hueco Mundo, I let them go as long as they honored our agreement to be loyal."

'A child arrancar, that must be Nel!' She was relieved to hear her old companions were doing well, even if they took a different path.

She noticed the sadness washing over the faces of her friends. Did they miss them? We're they going to leave too?

"Girls. Are you ok?"

Her voice seemed to bring them out of their haze. "Oh, we're fine. It's just there are other people we wished had also survived."

Cyan's tone made her feel a little guilty. It was true they were enemies at the time, and there were some of them she didn't really like, but she never wanted them dead. Especially now that she knew how much they missed each other.

"I'm sorry. I wished I could have helped more."

She felt Mila place a hand on her shoulder. "It's not your fault Orihime-San. There wasn't much you could do."

Jeanne sighed. "Zommari, Aaroniero and Baraggan didn't leave any bodies to revive. Yammy was long dead before you came to heal us, so was Stark. Perhaps Szayel could have returned, but his body was quantum locked, it's impossible to bring him back from that state."

She only remembered a few of the names, she'd seen them in passing but didn't know them. Stark was the only one she had personally met, and from the little, she'd seen he seemed like a decent guy.

"In any case, there are others who would prefer death. Loly for example."

"What happened to her?"

Jeanne bit her lip before talking. Whatever she was going to tell her it wouldn't be pretty. "She's been in a deranged state since Aizen was defeated. Menoly is the only one who can calm her down, but that's it. The girl is messed up beyond repair."

"That's horrible! I can't believe you've all had to deal with the mess Aizen left behind! This isn't fair!" Orihime splashed the water in frustration.

Cyan patted her on the head. "Orihime-San we all chose to follow Aizen many centuries ago. We knew the consequences and did it anyway. Instead of feeling guilty, remember you decided to give us all a second chance, in spite of the fact that we caused you so much pain before."

Orihime smiled at the arrancar girl, unsure of what else to say. The others seemed to notice she wasn't doing all that well today.

"Girlie, you been looking a little down since you got her. I don't think it has to do with our little talk now. What's wrong?"

Orihime told them everything. The girls listened quietly until she was done.

Halibel was the first to speak. "That sounds awfully sad. Given that you're not the type of person to seek revenge, I'd advise you to steer clear of the people you mentioned. At least until you decided whether you're going to forgive them or not. As for the training matter, you know you're more than welcome to train with us."

"Thanks, Halibel-San that makes me feel much better."

"You're welcome."

These were not the type of things she was prone to doing. Training, soaking in a bathhouse, or spending time with women who were so different from herself, still Orihime could get used it.

* * *

  
The girls had taken more time than expected in the bathing room. Nnoitra and he had been done for about half an hour. Thankfully Gantenbainne had provided them with a distraction.

While he and the woman were away, the others the remaining Arrancar had taken the time to look all over Las Noches. They had found many secret rooms and compartments but they were mostly empty. Only a few books were left behind.

"Still don't see why these things could be of any use to defeat Anna. All they talk about is history and shinigami stuff. "Nnoitra threw one of the books back. "Why don't they just find her and kill her?"

"That would be an ideal solution, however, Anna remains hidden away where no one has been able to locate her. The only thing we can do is wait until she comes to us, and prepare as best as possible." Ulquiorra picked up all of the books and put them in a box. "These may not give us sufficient information to defeat Anna, but anything we can learn by now will be beneficial."

Gantenbainne chuckled. "I didn't think we would see the day where we'd have to go against her. That woman is awful cunning, fighting power is probably the last of our problems."

The girls stepped into the room just as he was done with the books. "All done?" he asked the woman.

She simply nodded as she picked Kukkapuro up from the floor. The two said goodbye to the others before leaving. Gantenbainne's words struck a chord with him. Ulquiorra could picture Anna laying a trap for them, there was a reason she was Aizen's wife after all. 'What? What is she really going to do?'

"Ulquiorra? You look worried, are you ok?"

"I'm fine, I just need to get around to reading these."

* * *

 

Ulquiorra had spent the afternoon reading. When she cooked him lunch he ate it without putting the books down. His indifferent expression was replaced by one of frustration. The frown of his brows increased every time he finished a book.

"Ulquiorra, are you sure you are ok?" Orihime sat down beside him on the couch. "Is it the books?"

he sighed. "More or less. I'm trying to see if there's any way we could finish Anna of, or at the very least locate her. There's nothing here so far. Only forbidden Kido spells."

"That's it! We could ask Shizuka-San! Maybe Hachi-San can help too. He was in the Kido corps!"

"It would not hurt to try."Ulquiorra's voice cut off as he read a page from the book, his green eyes widened in shock.

"What's wrong?"

He handed her the book. Orihime saw a picture of a red string and beside it a red ribbon. The other page had writing in it, so she began to read.

The red threads of fate

It is said that when two souls are destined to meet a red string connects them. Said string will tangle and pull, but it shall not break. This string does not necessarily apply to lovers, it a force that can bind and conduct the power of two separate souls, regardless of species. The only way this string can break it's through reincarnation, for these souls can meet in life and in death.

A red ribbon is a far more powerful variation of this rare phenomenon. The souls bound by a red ribbon have met in every lifetime they've had thus far, and will meet in every lifetime afterward unless one of them is completely erased. A red ribbon bond can conduct more power than a red string bond, if used to perfection said power it's more effective than any forbidden Kido previously shown in this text. However, the only way to ensure that a red ribbon bond exists it's for half of the pair to be close to death, and for the other half to be nearby. Nobody else will see the ribbon, only the aforementioned pair.

It was then when she understood. She had seen a similar thing when she was healing Ulquiorra. At first, she thought she had imagined it, or that the light had blinded her. 'It was real.' She could tell Ulquiorra saw it too.

"Does this mean... we are bound together?"

He nodded. "It appears so. The night we fought Hecate and my Pesquisa ceased to work, you held my hand trying to help me stand. I could feel my power returning as if you were lending me your energy. Perhaps it was the bond."

"It was. I felt it too. My attacks...They're usually tame, but that night I cut through it all so easily."

She smiled. A part of her was happy, this newfound power could give them an edge on the upcoming battle. The other part simply felt thankful for it, maybe that was the reason she could bring him back.

"Woman, you're weeping again. Is this because of Kurosaki?"

"No. These are happy tears." she smiled as she hugged him. "I'm just so happy that you're here, alive and safe."

He returned the hug. "It is thanks to you that I'm still here."

She could remember the sad faces of her arrancar friends when they counted the loses, the empty room that made Kukkapuro cry, the sadness she felt when Ulquiorra's hand had turned to ash under her touch. "If the many worlds theory can be believed, then there's a parallel universe when you turn to ashes in front of me, a universe in which I cannot save you. I wouldn't want to live in that universe." she told him.

Ulquiorra remained silent for a moment then he muttered. "I wouldn't want that either."


	11. Transparent

©Bleach and it's characters don't belong to me, They belong to Tite Kubo and Shonen Jump. Only Anna, Shizuka and Hanabira belong to me.

**Chapter 11: Transparent**

The night passed away in the blink of an eye and the early hours of the day had already slipped through her fingers. Orihime's head was a mess, she wasn't sure what was taking a bigger toll, the situation with Ichigo or the discovery she and Ulquiorra made.

She had been sitting beside the window for almost an hour now. The snowy landscape was soothing to look at, she was petting Kukkapuro's back as she tried to make sense of it all.

"Woman. You're worried yet again." Ulquiorra commented.

They had only lived together for about a month now, but the arrancar could already read her moods, along with some expressions from their other friends.

Ulquiorra handed her a cup of tea. "Are you feeling unwell?"

"I'm fine. Just have a lot to think about." She took a sip of the tea before glancing out the window again. "Ulquiorra, I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?"

"I just... I promised to show you all of the great things about the world of the living, and so far all I've done is sulk. I'm really sorry."

The arrancar sighed. "There's no need for you to apologize. It's understandable for your mood to be wary due to recent events. If am to be honest I've immensely enjoyed our time together, the comforts of this world are enticing, and the majority of you acquaintances are agreeable people." He sat down beside. "But if I was forced to chose, I'd say your company is the most favorable aspect of my life here."

She couldn't contain her smile as he said that. "I can't tell you how much that means to me." She gave him a hug. "Thanks Ulquiorra, you really know how to cheer me up."

* * *

  
He was strangely pleased by the woman's words. They spent the rest of the morning lounging together with Kukkapuro.

Orihime kept ignoring the constant ringing of her phone. Just by glancing at it Ulquiorra could tell who were the callers.

"Are you certain you don't want to speak with them?"

"I'm certain. Right now, there's not a single thing I can say to them."

Ulquiorra nodded. He turned off the phone and placed it on the table. Before he could say anything they all felt a strange spiritual pressure.

"Hollows." The woman picked up Kukkapuro and headed for the door, with Ulquiorra closely following.

The pressure came from the shopping district they had visited a few weeks prior. There was an abundance of hollow, reigning from small to gigantic size.

"I suppose this is a good opportunity to test the results of our training," he told her. "Try to take out the big ones"

Orihime nodded. "Koten Zanshun, I reject!" she yelled fiercely. Instead of one ray of light, she released an attack similar to a bala. Hundreds of small bursts of light took down one of the bigger hollows.

Ulquiorra was taken aback for a second. He quickly snapped out of his daze and began taking down the smaller hollows.

Every so often he'd check on Orihime's progress. She was doing well against the hollows. There was a moment when he was ready to intervene since the hollow managed to break through her shield but to his surprise, the woman has foreseen this and once the shield broke, it's shards stabbed the hollow as he got close to her.

'I should know better than to underestimate her.' He thought. Soon enough there was only one big hollow left to take down.

"Want to see how strong the ribbon bond is?" Orihime asked him as she held out her hand.

Ulquiorra was surprised by her question but agreed immediately, softly holding onto Orihime's delicate hand.

He prepared himself and fired a cero right through the hollow's head. It was gone in seconds.

This new surge of power proves efficient. Firing ceros was quite draining, but he didn't feel as if he had spent any energy. 'This bond could prove quite useful in battle.'

"That was awesome! I think we're done for today. I don't see any more hollows."

"Yes, it appears we've dealt with them all."

While Kukkapuro sucked up the remaining of the hollows, Ulquiorra saw Shizuka arrive.

"Hey you three! I was starting to worry why the training hollows had vanished." Shizuka appeared before them in her shinigami robes.

"Training hollows?" The woman asked her in a confused tone.

"Yeah. There were a bunch of dummy hollows around town. They are not dangerous to humans but can be annoying for us to deal with. Yoruichi set them up for us to train."

"Wow, I'm sorry we cut in. I was sure they were just normal hollows."

"Don't be. Urahara's been running us into the ground with training since yesterday morning. It'll be satisfying to tell him you guys absolutely wrecked his dummy hollows." Shizuka winked. "Want to come along? We were about to go shopping."

He waited for Orihime to respond, seeing how her mood was not as chirpy as usual.

"I'd love to." Orihime turned towards him and Kukkapuro."You two are not tired?"

"Not at all." he picked up the puppy and followed the girls. They ended up at the same store he visited with the woman upon their homecoming.

Once they came in he quickly noticed Gin, Rangiku and Chad over at the jacket section. They waved them hello when they saw them. He wasn't particularly interested in shopping, but the woman looked very happy as Rangiku whisked her away towards the dress section. 'Let her have fun.'

He took this as an opportunity to talk to Gin, seeing how Shizuka was nowhere to be found.

"Ichimaru, I need to speak with you."

"What is it Ulquiorra-Kun? Need romantic advice."

Ulquiorra rolled his eyes at the ridiculous suggestions. "If I ever wanted to inquire in romantic matters I would not be talking to you about it."

"Harsh. Okay, then what is it you want to discuss?"

He proceeded to explain everything to Ichimaru, from the moment the woman saved him to the discovery they made last night.

"Oh dear, I do recall hearing something about the red bond from Aizen. It was a long time ago, but if you are certain about then I'm sure it'll be advantageous. Power like that is quite rare, especially between a human and a hollow, so maybe try to keep it secret. Who knows what the Soul Society might do if they find out."

He had not considered that. If they found out about this then the woman might be in danger.

"Understood." He would not let anyone harm her, especially not because of him. Having to carry the burden of looking over the arancars was more than enough.

He'd have to protect the woman, just as she was protecting him.

* * *

  
Before she could join the others at the store Shizuka had to pick up a call. She thought it'd just be Urahara or Yoruichi but didn't expect to hear another voice at the end of the line.

"Asami? Why are you calling me?"

"Nice to hear from you too sister. I thought you might want to hear the information I've recovered."

"Sure. What have you found?"

"The books Anna stole from our library are all about the Oken. She also took pages from the records of previous Soul Society Captains. I suspect she's looking for information about Hanabira Aizen."

"Why? Hanabira's been dead for centuries..."

"That's what I'd like to know. On the subject of the stolen spiritual pressure it just as Kisuke suggested, she has enough for a Vasto Lorde."

'She's really coming here, isn't she?' Part of her didn't want to believe it, that her sister would do such a thing, but every sign pointed towards that option.

"There is another matter I must discuss with you. Once Anna has been dealt with I want you to return home for your wedding."

Shizuka gripped the phone tightly. "Asami c'mon we're dealing with an emergency right now. The last thing I want is to think about is...that."

"Rest assured that there's no state of emergency here, only the Noble families, central 46, and the squad stationed at the world of the living is aware of Anna's upcoming attack. Everyone else has been kept in the dark."

"What?!" She couldn't comprehend why they would keep such a threat secret, then again, it made sense. Like hell, they'd admit the woman they thought dead had escaped them.

"Do not change the subject!" For a moment Asami's voice sounded too much like their father."You've been putting this off for too long! As soon as your watch as Karakura's shinigami ends, you'll come back home and be wed. End of discussion!"

"Asami please don't make me do it!" Her voice sounded like a little kid crying, but she didn't care.

Instead of getting an answer she was met with the dial tone beeping. Shizuka stood still, listening to it for about a minute. before hanging up Her cheeks were stained with tears and smeared mascara, and a sharp pain shot up her lip.

'I have to stop bitting it.' A drop of crimson slid down her chin, she didn't even bother wiping it off. 'I'll just say it's melty lipstick.'

"Shizuka." A familiar voice called her name. She quickly wiped her tears away, putting on her usual smile.

"Hey, Chad! I was just taking a call. I'll be in soon." She used the chirpiest voice she could muster and casually flipped her hair.

Chad didn't look convinced. Instead, he just walked towards her and used a napkin to wipe off the blood from her lip. "I won't ask any questions unless you want me to. Just don't make that face again."

Shizuka felt her eyes get watery again. In an effort to calm her down Chad pulled her into a hug, letting her cry as much as she needed.

"Thank you, for everything." That was all she said before falling silent in his arms, letting him comfort her.

* * *

  
"I think this one looks great on you!" Rangiku smiled at the look she had created for her friend.

Orihime smiled. She wasn't fond of darker colors but the dress Rangiku picked for her was absolutely beautiful. It was a black short-sleeved dress with white flowers all over, upon closer inspection she realized the flowers were skulls.

"I like it. I'm going to buy it!"

"Excellent. Now I'm going to try on mine!"

While Rangiku changed into her chosen dress Shizuka came into the dressing room. Orihime noticed her lip was broken and her make up was messy.

"Shizuka-San, are you alright?" Orihime placed her hand on her shoulder. Shizuka didn't say anything and just hugged her friend tightly.

Orihime returned the hug with the same force. She could tell there was something very wrong, but she wouldn't dare ask questions.

Rangiku came out of the changing with a red dress and black heels. As soon as she saw Shizuka her instinct was to hug her too. "Aw, sweetie are you okay?"

The girl just shook her head. "Sorry for making a scene. This was supposed to be a trip to relax and I've turned it into a moping fest."

"You have nothing to apologize for."

The girls released Shizuka from their embrace once she calmed down. They continued trying on dresses until the three of them were satisfied.

"I never took you for that type of girl." Rangiku laughed as she saw the outfit Shizuka had chosen. It was a short, sleeveless, black dress with a frilly skirt and a fishnet undershirt. Shizuka also put on fishnet leggings and strappy boots.

"I really do like how it looks, I'm just hoping we can all wear these tonight."

"Tonight? Where are we going?" Orihime tilted her head. 'Now what is she up to?'

"You'll see." Shizuka winked.

Rangiku and Orihime looked at each other and decided not to ask any more questions, might as well wait for the surprise.

The group came out of the changing room with their clothes in hand. After paying they would be meeting with the boys, who had finished their shopping a while ago. They didn't expect to see them talking to all too familiar person.

'Kurosaki-kun...' Orihime's mind went blank for a second. What was he doing here? In the distance, she could see Karin and Yuzu picking out clothes. 'So that's why.' Not knowing what to do her first instinct was to run back into the changing room, but that wouldn't help her much.

She felt Rangiku placing her hand on her shoulder. "We don't need to talk to him. We'll just sneak past the guys."

Orihime was about to agree, but it was too late. Ichigo had seen her. She seemingly froze in place as he walked towards her, it was like Hueco Mundo all over again.

"Inoue, I been looking for you." Although it had only been two days Inoue felt as if she hadn't heard his voice in years.

"I don't want to talk right now, Kurosaki-kun." Her voice didn't sound like herself if anything she sounded like Ulquiorra.

"Inoue just-" she raised a hand before he could continue.

"Don't. Just leave me alone, do not seek me out, I don't want to see you!"

With that she stomped towards the exit and left, not caring to see if he followed.

* * *

  
Ulquiorra decided not to intervene. It wasn't until the woman left that he decided to follow. She didn't go far, he found her sitting on the edge of a fountain at the center of the shopping district.

"Do you want company?" He asked as he handed her Kukkapuro.

She smiled and picked up the puppy. "You always seem to know when I need you."

He sat beside her. "You're a unique individual to read, it's your facial expressions that give you away."

She raised an eyebrow at that. "Care to elaborate?"

Ulquiorra looked at her. "When you're upset you tend to tug at your clothes, and your eyes go a little dark. When bored you tend to stare at nothing. When you're happy you talk a lot, and make comical expressions. Anger causes you to get red and raise the pitch of your voice, your eyebrows also get closer together and form lines on your forehead."

Orihime chuckled. "You didn't lie when you said sight was your best asset. I don't think anyone else has noticed those things about me."

"Maybe they need to look at you more. You're a sight for sore eyes."

The woman blushed profusely at that. It was one of his favorite aspects of her, the constant adorable blushing. At first, he thought it was annoying, yet as time went by he was always amused when her pale cheeks filled with color.

The pair didn't notice Kukkapuro struggling to get out of Orihime's grasp, he pushed a little bit too hard as he jumped out of her arms causing Orihime to lose balance. Ulquiorra tried to grab her but it was too late. They both fell on the fountain's water with a splash.

"Are you okay?" She asked him as soon as they got out of the water.

"I'm fine, how about you?"

"I don't think I got a scratch either."

The pair stood up and glared at Kukkapuro. The pup simply sat there with a grin, looking as innocent as ever.

'I'm beginning to understand why Yammy grew exasperated with this animal.'

Ichimaru and Rangiku arrived at that very moment. He saw confusion all over Rangiku's face, but Ichimaru was smiling.

"What were two doing in there, kissy time?"

Rangiku smacked Ichimaru at the back of the head. "You hush!"

"I'm serious! First Shizuka-Chan has that broken lip and arrives with Sado-Kun and now Ulquiorra-Kun and Orihime-Chan are acting suspiciously."

This time it was the woman who flung her shoe at Ichimaru. "Stop it with the dirty jokes!" She stepped out of the fountain and picked up her shoe. "Where are Sado-Kun and Shizuka-San?"

"Chewing out berry for bugging ya."

"What? They don't need to do that!"

"Fox face here is exaggerating. They're just talking. We'll all regroup at Shizuka's place."

"Ok then."

They all headed back to Shizuka's house, on the way Ulquiorra kept sneaking glares at Kukkapuro who just smiled and stuck out his tongue like a normal pup.

If he kept acting like that then this would be a long day.

* * *

  
"Have I mentioned I hate mathematics?" Shizuka complained as she finished another equation on the whiteboard.

"Only trice." Ulquiorra answered.

Orihime chuckled. She'd have to teach Ulquiorra the difference between rhetorical and serious questions. She was trying to concentrate on her reading, but every once in a while she had to put the book down.

History was always a touchy subject for her, as bloody battles and wars were never easy to stomach. Soul Society history, on the other hand, was ten times worst.

When Shizuka told them that Anna seemed to be researching Hanabira along with the Oken they all decided to look for secret messages in the books and pictures they had available. Even if she only had to glance in between pages for underlined words, or symbols Orihime still read everything. Partly because she didn't want to miss anything, and partly because she was curious.

"Ok. I've narrowed down our options to three categories. Calculating the amount of spiritual pressure Anna has collected she has enough to both create the Cerberus Vasto Lorde and to temporarily heal herself. Should she heal herself there are certain dangerous kido she might use."

Shizuka showed them the board. There was a drawing of a three-headed hollow dog. Under it, the board was divided into three sections. Each of them written in different colors.

"The red column is for the most draining spells. There are only two forbidden spells she could use in this case. Hado number 98 Concealer of Souls, which is the spell she's been using to sneak around, and Hado Number 99 Twin Lotus Illusion, this spell could allow her to replicate herself and be in two places at once."

Those spells sounded fatal, the only consolation Orihime could consider was that these spells seemed draining enough, that they could only be used once.

"I don't get one thing. If the 98th Hado is so draining how come she's been using it?" Rangiku asked.

"As far as I know Anna's injuries don't allow her to use his abilities to the fullest. Using these spells in the state won't be as draining, given that they're flawed. The Hado should completely conceal her yet we managed to detect her pressure. If she were to use them 'healed' then their power would be increased."

"Damn. Let's hope she doesn't use those."

"It's not likely. Okay so here are the other spells she might use..."

The second and third column were painted yellow and green respectively. From the little she knew about kido Orihime gathered that the second column was full of medium spells. She'd seen some of those in action. The green column was the fullest, it had the common spells written in it.

"That's all the info I've got so far. I'll re-do the calculations tomorrow with Hinamori-San in case I missed something. For now, let's just concentrate on finding any hidden clues."

The group nodded and continued their search. Orihime was about to finish the book when she noticed that the final page had an indentation of foreign letters.

She grabbed a pencil and began to trace over it. When she was done the whole page was covered in letters she didn't understand.

"I think I found something but, I can't understand the language. I think it's Spanish."

"Let me see." She passed the book the Chad who read and nodded in agreement. "It is Spanish. I'll translate, but I'm not sure if this has anything to do with her clues.

Shizuka cleared the whiteboard so that Chad could translate. Once he was done Orihime read the whiteboard as quickly as possible.

Three mighty have fallen  
Ah, but soon we'll all follow suit  
Kakyo, Marianna and Armando their names  
Ephemeral memory remains

Treason was our crime  
Hydra among them is still hidden  
Eternal silence awaits

Babies of mine, you shall prevail  
Oracle and heaven sent is your calling  
Xhante guides the way

"That sounds like a weird verse." Gin scratched his head. "Maybe we should take each letter individually?"

Following Gin's advice, Orihime looked just at the first letter of each sentence. Then it clicked.

 **T** hree mighty have fallen  
 **A** h, but soon we'll all follow suit  
 **K** akyo, Marianna & Armando their names  
Ephemeral memory remains

 **T** reason was our crime  
 **H** ydra among them is still hidden  
 **E** ternal silence awaits

 **B** abies of mine, you shall prevail  
 **O** racle and heaven sent is your calling  
 **X** hante guides the way

"I've got it!" She lounged for the board and replaced the first letters with the black marker.

"It makes sense. The original Spanish version has the same letters at the beginning too." Chad checked with the book. Both translations were valid.

"So that's it? Take the box?" Shizuka examined the book. "Is that all there is? We don't have any info on a box."

"If I'm not mistaken I do remember Anna mentioning something about a glass box. She said it was an heirloom from one of her old teachers, but she did not mention it's location."

"At least we know they are talking about a box. If only we knew what the contents were..." Orihime bit her nail, just when she thought they had everything figured out a new variable appeared.

"I'll talk to Urahra-San tomorrow. Maybe he's aware of this. It's almost 7, I say we let this rest for today. Now get dressed people. I'm gonna take you out!"

* * *

  
"It's always a little unsettling when Shizuka-Chan is being secretive." Gin mentioned. "Been on the receiving end of many pranks."

Somehow picturing Ichimaru at the receiving end of a prank was mildly amusing. 'About time someone got back at you.'

"Speaking of the girls. Did they seem a blue today? It's understandable given what has happened, but I'm worried."

He could tell. Sado had been even more quiet than usual and even Gin had not joked around as much. From the other room, he could hear a ripple of giggles along with Orihime's voice "I'm not gonna stuff my dress Rangiku!"

Maybe they would be back to normal sooner than he thought.

They waited downstairs for five more minutes until the girls were ready. Ulquiorra was momentarily mesmerized by Orihime's look. The woman had a fondness for pastel colors, and she looked beautiful in them, but black made her look like a queen. Her dress wasn't short but it showed off her legs, she had black flat slippers, and he suspected Rangiku applied some dark eyeshadow and lipstick.

"Ulquiorra, ya gonna keep drooling over Orihime-Chan."

Before he could do anything to Ichimaru, Rangiku pushed him out of the way. "C'mon Gin, you don't want to die today."

There was a knock on the door, Shizuka opened it to reveal the other shinigami along with two other people he hadn't seen before.

"Nice to see you all look pretty as a button." Shizuka joked. "Is everything ready?"

"Yeah. The bus is stationed outside. Now hurry up or I'll leave you." An unknown female spoke before going back outside.

"Lisa-San hasn't changed a bit." Orihime chuckled.

"Yeah. That's our Lisa. Now let's get going, I don't want to walk all the way in heels."

* * *

  
The moment she saw Rose looking so giddy she should have known Shizuka was taking them somewhere music related. What Orihime didn't expect was to end up at a nightclub.

"How did you find this place? It's lovely!" Rangiku was already bouncing in excitement.

"Well, I work here and Captain Otoribashi used to work here when he was staying in the world of the living."

Everyone looked at Rose with disbelief. He simply shrugged. "I may be a man of classical music, but that does not mean I can't party."

It seemed like a good explanation. The club wasn't very full. It was well lit, there was a bar and many tables along with a kitchen.

"How come it's so empty? I assumed there would be more people."

"It's employees night. Only the employees and their guests are here. That's why I brought you guys. We have most of the place to ourselves."

That was a good thing. Orihime couldn't imagine what it would be like  
to be in a club full of people.

The group dispersed fairly quickly. Orihime could see Shizuka, Chad, Rose, Kira and Gin heading towards the bar. Rangiku and Lisa were listening to Momo talk about a book she finished, and Ulquiorra was speaking with Hitsugaya. That just left one person...

"Orihime-San." It had been a while since she heard that calm voice, and she had missed it.

"Hachi-San! It's so good to see you again!" Orihime hugged the taller vizard. "Where are the others? I only saw you and Lisa-San come here with us.

"They are out of town. Love wanted to go to a convention and he dragged the girls with him. They have been missing the others quite a bit."

"I see. Well, I'm glad you're here. If you don't mind there are a few things I really need to ask you."

"Yes of course, what's the matter?"

She told him everything at best as she could. When she finished Hachi tapped his fingers on the table.

"When I was in the kido corps we did learn about forbidden spells, and about rare occurrences like the ribbon bond. However, I'm not familiar with its mechanics or it's limits. The only thing I do know for certain it's that it's only taken place between Soul Reapers, I have never heard of it happen between an arrancar and a human. I think it's best you don't tell anyone else about it. Soul Society still has a long way to go before we can coexist in peace."

"I didn't think about it that way. I'll keep it in mind. Thanks for the warning."

"No problem. As for Anna, I was one of her many teachers. She was exceptional in the art of kido. I offered her a position in the kido corps, but her heart was on the sciences. She joined Urahara's bureau and became my assistant in the academy. I never once suspect that she had darkness underneath. Perhaps I should have noticed, she was a lot like Aizen..."

The way he said it made her heartache. It sounded like the way a father spoke about a misguided child. "I saw you at her wedding picture."

"I was surprised when she told me, but flattered she trusted me enough with such a secret. Then they made her pay with her life, or so we thought."

'But she's alive, and now she's out for blood' Would she kill Hachi? Orihime wasn't sure if she knew the answer, but she hoped that wasn't the case.

"Thanks for telling me. I really needed to talk to you."

"No problem. Shall we join the others?"

"Yes."

Just as they joined the table Momo was done talking about her novel. Lisa was scribbling down some names and Rangiku was close to crying.

"I need to finish those books."

"Stop gawking Matsumoto. We'll have lots of work when we get back!" Toshiro glared in her direction. "No slacking off to read romance novels."

"Oh c'mon Captain! Don't you want to finish it too?"

Hitsugaya blushed. "Ridiculous! I don't read smutty romances."

Rangiku and Momo both rolled their eyes. Orihime chuckled at the sight. 'Those three.'

"I brought food and drinks! Don't worry they're non alcoholic." Shizuka placed some trays on the table. Gin came back along with her and sat with Rangiku.

"Where are the others?" she asked.

"Rose is introducing Sado-Kun to the owner. Apparently, our young friend has a band. Maybe they'll play here." Gin told them before reaching for a drink.

"We have to come that day too! I'm sure the boss will let him play." Shizuka daydreamed and all the girls giggled. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. Hey, where's Kira?" Momo looked around and the others followed suit.

"Oh damn. I think he's at the bar." Shizuka turned back and sighed. "The Captain is dealing with him. Looks like they're going start playing techno."

"Ohh finally something dancy! Let's go Gin. Don't eat our food guys."

Rangiku dragged Gin away towards the dancefloor. Orihime noticed Hinamori and Lisa pulling out their phones.

"Please tell me you're recording," Hitsugaya asked.

Hinamori gave a thumbs up, grinning as she saw Rangiku pulling Gin close for a dance. "This is so going to be on a wedding video!" she squealed.

That thought made her laugh. How would a wedding between those be? 'Probably an open bar and a Kitsune theme.'

"Anyone else wants to dance?" Shizuka asked.

Seeing how she wasn't hungry yet and she needed a good distraction Orihime decided to take up the offer. "I don't know how to dance, but if you teach me, I'll do it."

Shizuka winked. "Deal."

The pale offered her hand and Orihime took it. Once they were on the dancefloor she had no idea what to do.

"Just sway with the beat. I'll guide you until you feel ready."

Orihime nodded and followed Shizuka's lead. She wasn't used to dancing, especially not like this, but somehow it relaxed her.

"There you go girlie!" Shizuka congratulated her. "Now give em a show!"

She had to laugh at that. Orihime wasn't one for the spotlight. She kept dancing alongside Shizuka, laughing all the way.

* * *

  
"You took a while, was the endeavor successful?" Ulquiorra asked Chad.

He simply nodded and smiled. "The band will play here soon. I was going to thank Shizuka for helping but I can't find her."

"Last I saw her she was with the woman." He looked at the other tables, but the girls were nowhere to be seen.

Kukkapuro barked and pointed towards the dancefloor with his paw. Ulquiorra identified the woman immediately.

Her orange hair swayed as she moved. She was laughing uncontrollably, as she let Shizuka spin her around looking like a pretty ballerina on a music box.

When the song concluded she met his eyes. A faint blush appeared in her cheeks. The girls headed towards the group still giggling.

"You guys want to dance?" Shizuka asked. "I have just turned Orihime into a professional."

The woman laughed. "Stop it Shizuka-San! I'm hopeless."

"Nonsense, you were amazing!" She gave her a hug. "So, anyone else wants to dance with me?"

He saw Chad hold out his arm and Shizuka took it. The pair walked away leaving him alone with the woman.

"What do you say Ulquiorra? Want to dance?"

He should have said no, but when she looked at him with that cute smile and those big grey eyes, he relented. 'Nnoitra is right, I'm going mad.'

The woman led the way, once they found a free spot she pulled him close to her, she placed one of his hands around her waist and held onto the other. Her free hand went to his shoulder. "Just move with the music." she told him as the song began.

Fighting had been an easy skill to master, dancing was anything but. He knew he was awful, the only consolation he had was that the woman didn't seem to mind. She was still happily dancing with him, as if they actually knew what they were doing.

The song wasn't too loud and from what could make of the lyrics he supposed it was romantic. Humans had weird tastes in music, at least the woman liked it.

"Training in Hueco Mundo seems easier now. " she joked.

"I agree. Perhaps we'll master fighting skills before we master dancing."

Orihime chuckled "Maybe. In any case, I like spending time with you."

He wasn't expecting her to say that. Ulquiorra enjoyed spending time with her, even when she was his captive in Hueco Mundo he made excuses to see her. Bringing her food, clothes, checking on her. Just her mere presence was comforting, whether she was sad, or angry, or happy.

But what could she gain from being with him? He didn't light up a room when he walked in, he wasn't very reassuring in emotional matters, if anything he thought his presence had brought her only complications.

"Thank you. I appreciate that."

Ulquiorra noted that also wasn't very good with words...and yet again she didn't seem to mind.

* * *

  
Orihime lost track of time. She knew they'd been dancing for a long while, despite having flat shoes her feet were already aching and she was tired.

"Shall we rest?" Ulquiorra asked her.

"Yes. Let's go get something to eat. I'm drained."

They headed towards the bar. Orihime noticed Kira and Rose were already there.

"Hey, tired already?" Rose asked them a plate of chips.

"I'm not cut to be a dancer, but it's been so much fun."

"I know what you mean. Dancing can help clear the mind. Especially with a good partner. You two looked in so synch!

'If he only knew.' Orihime chuckled. She was glad they'd all gone out today. It made her feel so much better.

"Hey you four, it's time to go. Rangiku-San is asleep and I think I'm next to hit the floor." Shizuka had already taken off her shoes and from the looks of it, she was also tired from all the rave.

"We'll be there in a sec." Rose gently shook Kira. "Wake up muse. It's time to go."

"Nooo, five more minutes Captain..." His voice was sluggish but at least he wasn't too drunk to function.

"You can sleep later Izuru. We have to go."

"Fiiine."

The trio helped Izuru stand, but they struggled a little. Orihime almost slipped causing her to bump into someone.

"I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

The person she bumped into was a young girl with two pink pigtails. She looked grumpy, but apparently, she wasn't bothered by the small push. "I'm fine, don't worry about it." Then she walked away.

'I hope I didn't hit a nerve.' Orihime wasn't sure why, but that girl gave her an eerie vibe.

The ride back felt as if time had slowed down. Everyone was slightly dozing off except for Momo who was asleep in Rangiku's lap.

Orihime was sitting beside Ulquiorra. Out of everyone on the bus, he seemed to be the least tired, but she could still see his eyes were hazy and unfocused.

Shizuka popped over from the front seat. "You guys still awake?"

"Bearly, too much exercise," Orihime admitted. "Thanks for taking us out tonight. I really needed a distraction."

"You're welcome dear. Listen I owe you one for today. That little breakdown doesn't happen often, but you guys made it easier. I really appreciate it. Things back at the Soul Society are getting messy, and...I really can't take it."

Orihime took Shizuka's hand trying to reassure her. "I'm here for you whenever Shizuka, we all are. If you need to let it out, do it."

"I'm going to be married off once my shinigami watch ends. My brother won't break off the arrangement...and I haven't even spoken to the man I'm set to marry." The last words were strained as if she was swallowing glass. Orihime remained silent. What could she say? That thought never crossed her mind, she'd imagined her wedding almost a thousand times before, and it was never forced upon her. There would also be tears, but these were meant to be tears of joy.

"I've known since childhood, and I was ready to accept it, or so I thought. Maybe I'm not strong as I thought."

"It's not a matter of strength." The girls were startled by Chad's voice. He stood from his seat beside Shizuka, and wrapped an arm around her.He had been more awake than they thought. "If any of us were in your place, we would be feeling the same way. There's no shame in crying or in feeling helpless. You'll get back up, and this time we'll all be here to help you. It's a promise."

Orihime could have sworn she'd never seen her shinigami friend smile as radiantly as she did now. Softly she sunk back into the fluffy seat of the bus and quickly fell asleep. She thought she might be dreaming again, yet another recreation of her dream wedding with Ichigo.

Instead of walking towards an altar in her puffy white dress, she turned back and walked out of the building. She wasn't fully recovered and reliving that that dream made her want to cry, but all of this could wait. She had more important things to deal with than a man who never truly looked at her twice. Not even in a dream.

Best of all there were a lot of people waiting for her outside. The first one she saw had pretty emerald eyes.

* * *

  
"You're quite reckless, what if Urahara detects you? The whole plan would be put in jeopardy." A man with black hair pulled up a chair in a darkly lit office. Sitting in front of him there was a female figure with a hood.

"Ginjo darling you worry too much. I'll be out of here before Kisuke knows I set foot in town. Now, just tell me what I need to know." She purred.

"They were all here tonight. One seated officer, Three captains, three lieutenants, two vizored, two arrancar and two fullbringers."

"Any names? Because I already have a few guesses..."

"The seated officer is an employee here, Shizuka Fujiwara, the Captains were Otoribashi, Ichimaru, and Hitsugaya. Of the vizored I recognized Lisa Yadomaru. One of the lieutenants was Rangiku Matsumoto. Finally, the fullbringers were Yasutora Sado and Orihime Inoue. I'm afraid the rest remain unidentified."

The woman smiled. "That seems about what I expected. The plan will continue as we previously discussed." She stood up.

"Remember what you promised me, Anna." The man told her.

"Yes. I'll leave Ukitake at your mercy. Just do your part and we'll all get what we want." Anna looked around the room one last time. Her icy blue eyes flashing like those of a hollow. "Take care of them Ginjo, these kids are not unbeatable, but they can deal you a good amount of damage."

"I will. Try to sleep a little, you look like a washed up raven." both their voices softened.

Anna smiled before blending into the shadows. "Goodbye Ginjo. I'll see you soon." After that, the room was silent as a grave.


	12. Eternal Night

© Bleach and its characters don't belong to me. They belong to Tite Kubo and Shonen Jump. Jeanne Dae, Shizuka Fujiwara & Anna Maria are the only characters I own.

**Chapter 12: Eternal Night**

The barren landscape of Hueco Mundo always remained the same. An unchanging moon glowing atop the silvery sand, along with gusts of cold wind. Yet just by having her here it seemed as if everything had gained beauty. Orihime was sitting on the edge of the stairs, letting Mila braid her hair. Halibel's remaining fraccion were nearby seemingly offering commentary, he couldn't tell, however. His eyes were solely focused on Orihime. The moonlight made it seem like her orange locks were glowing, she was laughing at something the arrancar woman told her.

"You're distracted." He heard Jeanne's voice beside him. "I'm aware this isn't my business, but it's pretty clear you're growing fond of our redhead girlie."

"I do not know what to think. While it's true that things have changed drastically in this past month, I am not sure if any of this will end well."

"What do you mean?"

"We are facing against one of our former superiors who is quite powerful and clever, so survival is not exactly guaranteed. Even if we both made it out alive I am aware that the woman was very much in love with her former flame. That's not something that can disappear overnight."

He remembered staring at her through the monitors the day she was forced to leave for Hueco Mundo. How she hesitated in choosing just one person to say goodbye to. In the end, it was clear she would choose Kurosaki.

Ulquiorra didn't know much about romance, but he could tell the words she said were full of emotion, she was in love with that man. How she got such a will to fight when he perished, the looks she gave him, her immense joy when she dated him and her sadness when they fell apart. Those were things he knew she probably wouldn't feel for anyone else, much less him.

"That does not mean she can't be with you once she's ready."

"Perhaps. Still, what good would I be to her? The woman needs someone that can support her when she's emotional, someone who can make her life better. Not somebody who put her through a horrible experience, and she is stuck with."

Jeanne rolled her eyes. "If you really think Orihime finds you to be troublesome then you have fewer brain cells than Nnoitra. Ulquiorra, I can tell she cares about you, and while I'm sure our girlie wasn't fond of us at the start she doesn't seem to hold any grudges. Just let things flow, and in the meantime try to come to terms with how you feel. We're all here if you need to talk." The female arrancar winked.

"Thank you." He said before continuing to look at Orihime debating what to do next.

* * *

  
"There we go! What do you think?" Mila finished the braid and handed Orihime a mirror.

"It looks great, Thanks Mila-San!"

"You're welcome. It's fun to play with your hair, those two cows have too many tangles."

"We can hear you!"

As Mila and Appaci began to fight Orihime turned to look at Cyan, the other Arrancar shrugged at the usual bickering of her comrades.

"Is it always like this?" Orihime asked.

"Mila has been this annoying since we were humans. Add Emilou and you have a pair of bickering fools."

"I didn't know you could remember your human lives after coming to Hueco Mundo."

"It depends on the person. Some of us remember our entire lives, others just remember bits and pieces, and others don't remember anything before coming to Hueco Mundo."

Mila and Appaci suddenly stopped fighting as they heard the conversation. They sat down on the edge with empty expressions.

"Sometimes I wish I could forget. Victorian brothels were hell." said Mila.

"A brothel?"

The taller woman chuckled. "Yes, I was born to a wealthy man and an African slave. Mama died in childbirth so to hide his deed my father gave me up to a brothel in England. After spending two decades there I see them bring up this moody Vietnamese girl that can't stop covering her face with her sleeves."

Mila glanced at Cyan who rolled her eyes in turn. "It's a habit. In any case, before my days of training were up this rough lady comes in and tells me she wants to help me escape before I'm forced to take on my first client, and I agreed to trust her. That night we ran off, but we were followed. It ended with us caught between a cliff by the sea, or the brothel owner and her hunt dogs. We chose the sea."

They remained quiet for a moment. Orihime felt tears creeping up her eyes, she quickly wiped them away. "I shouldn't have asked. That sounds really painful."

"Now it's just a distant memory. Besides, we wouldn't have met Halibel-Sama if we hadn't gone through that. She took us in the moment we met and had cared for us since then."

The admiration they had for their queen always made Orihime smile. She knew they were in the best hands and that despite all that bickering they valued each other a lot. In a way, they reminded her of her human friends. 'I wonder how Tatsuki-Chan is doing...' She shook her head. This wasn't the time to mope, once she was home she would talk to Tatsuki.

"I wish I could remember more. All I can see were syringes and shadows. That doesn't tell me much of what happened in my human life." Appaci sat down near her friends folding her arms. "It was probably something bad, but I wish I knew."

Orihime couldn't imagine what it would be like to not remember anything after death. To not recognize her brother or her friends, it sounded hellish to her. 'Would I forget Ulquiorra?' He sprung to mind immediately. The bond they had was meant to reunite them in every lifetime, even the afterlife, but it didn't say if they would remember each other. Would she forget him when she died?

Orihime subtly looked at him. He was speaking with Jeanne. The second she looked at him he turned his head to meet her gaze. One look at his green eyes and she knew her answer. 'Bond or not, I would never forget you.'

When Ulquiorra and Jeanne we're done talking they walked towards the girls. "Hey guys, what are we talking about?" Jeanne asked.

"Our human lives, or what we remember of it anyway."

Jeanne's hand instinctively wrapped around her neck. "Has anyone else been sent to a guillotine?"

The girls stared at her in disbelief. "What did you do?" Appaci asked.

Jeanne chuckled. "I got caught with a woman. I think it was 1789 when it happened. Girl was fine, pretty eyes, black hair, big chest." The others laughed when she said that. "What? I like a busty woman! To me she was perfect, and we'd been together in secret for almost a year...When we got caught she blamed it all on me, said that the evil gypsy maid had cursed her and stuff like that. She was rich, and her family was very religious, so of course, they bought her story. I lost my head for her and she didn't even look at me before the blade went down. It's not as painless as they put it in films, you feel it for a few seconds, but those seconds feel like an agonizing eternity." Jeanne smiled darkly. "I eventually got my revenge on her. After the revolution, she was the one to lose her head and coincidentally ended up here. It happened before Lord Aizen recruited me, so I was still in my Vasto Lorde form, but she could tell it was me. I ate her, but not in a pleasurable way this time."

It was shocking to hear that coming from Jeanne, especially since the medic arrancar didn't strike her as the cruel type. She simply nodded in understanding.

"The nurse has a dark side." They all heard Nnoitra's voice from the entrance. He and Halibel were both covered in bruises and bleeding cuts. When they arrived for training, Mila told her Halibel had agreed to duel with Nnnoitra at long last. Thus they were all waiting outside for them to finish and then head out to train.

"I'm afraid to ask who won."

"It was a draw," Nnoitra said. Everyone looked at Halibel who shook her head discretely.

"Soten Kisshun, I reject!" Orihime used her Rikka to heal them both. She noticed it was taking less time to work than usual. Perhaps the training had been beneficial to every Rikka, not just Tsubaki.

Once the Espadas were healed they thanked her and sat down with the rest of the group.

"Where are the Gantenbaine and Tesla?" Mila asked still looking at the entrance.

"Nnoitra knocked them out when they tried to stop our duel early."

Everyone glared at Nnoitra, he just clicked his tongue and laughed. "What? I was pumped!"Jeanne stood up and went to check on the others before they began training.

"Jeanne may think the guillotine is bad, but having half of your head blown off it's probably worst."

"Let me guess, a war?" Halibel didn't seem fazed by this. Orihime was already pale from all the things she'd heard but at least the others looked calm.

"Yes, one of the world wars, I can't remember which, or what side I was on. All I can remember is the battle was fuckin bloody, there were bodies of all shapes and sizes around us, and the sound of a gunshot was the last thing I heard before my head was blown to pieces."

"That sounds quite terrifying." Orihime hugged her legs close to her body. By this point, even the others looked uncomfortable.

"I suppose. It's the only human memory I hold. I don't think I could differentiate between horror and normality at that state."

'That makes sense.' Nnoitra had always been violent since she met him. Now she could understand why. If their human lives impacted the Arrancar behavior as hollows then...What did Ulquiorra go through?

"I remember fragments of the ocean, and during my death, I could see bright lights, along with human doctors. My guess is that I passed away during childbirth, the last thing I heard was the sound of a child's cries."

This seemed to surprise everyone present. Orihime thought Halibel wouldn't say anything about this topic, much less for her to be so calm about it.

"Did you ever look for the child?" Ulquiorra asked.

"I wanted to, but I didn't know what the child looked like, or who their father was, or if he was even present at the hospital that day. Perhaps it's better I never found them, my hollow instincts could have taken over."

'And she would have attacked them.' Her mind drifted back to when Sora became a hollow, at least he managed to come to his senses, but she knew that wasn't often the case. Ichigo's hollow from flashed through her mind. She often wondered what would have happened if his mask had not cracked.

"Well, if you ever want to make another kid. Ya know if be glad to help make one." Nnoitra grinned as he wrapped his arm around Halibel's waist.

She raised an eyebrow. "Given that this is your twisted way of comforting me, I won't chastise you." Her face softened. "Now remove your arm unless you'd like for me to detach it."

He obeyed and the others tried to stifle a laugh. Jeanne came out the entrance seconds later. "Tesla and Gantenbaine are ok. No concussions or bruises, but I still sent them to sleep just in case."

"Very well. We may depart then."

The group walked away from Las Noches and headed for the desert.

* * *

 

"Woman, is something troubling you?"

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"You have been quiet since we left Las Noches."

"I was just thinking about how little I truly know about everyone here, how harsh they can really be."

"Souls turn to hollows because negative emotions plaguing them. Once you turn into a monster is hard to keep morality intact, more so when you obtain power." For a moment he was back in that dark pit, with nothing but his eyes to help him tear down the shadows around him.

"That does make sense, it's just that I been worried about what might happen if Anna turns her sights to Hueco Mundo."

It was a given that she would grow to care for the Arrancar. Ulquiorra still couldn't understand how she could forgive them so quickly as if being trapped here for such a long time didn't affect her at all.

"They'll be fine. We all had a bit of cruelty bred into us."

"We've arrived." Halibel motioned for everyone to stop.

He recognized this place, it was near the pale thorn tree that he found centuries ago. 'How much of it still remains?' he wondered.

"Using some of Szayel and Anna's notes I created some hollows for training, try to defeat them as soon as possible. If anything gets out of control I'll end the training session at once. Good Luck."

The ground began to shake. Soon three hollows emerged they looked like gigantic worms with masks covering their faces. Two were red and one was green.

Nnoitra was the first to attack, he cut one of the red hollows at the tail. The piece of tail fell into the sand, but then it began wiggling. A tiny version of the worm hollow emerged.

'Regeneration. These two will be tricky.' He saw Halibel's fraccion go into resurreción. They attacked the green hollow, which did not regenerate, instead, its wounds oozed a boiling green liquid that burned the sand upon contact.

'Two regenerative Gillian and an acid hollow. The woman's powers will be useful in this situation.'

"Orihime! Try using your attack on the red hollow!" Jeanne called out to the woman. She seemed to be having the same idea as Ulquiorra.

Orihime nodded and ran towards the hollow. "Koten Zanshun, I reject!" Her power took hold of the hollow, it didn't cut it, but rather it covered them in a yellow light. "Try to hit it now!" she yelled. Between Mila and Cyan they cut off the hollow's upper half, it began to wiggle as it reached the floor.

"Cero." Ulquiorra fired at the moving hollow piece. The cero burned it to ashes, leaving nothing to regenerate. He repeated the process while Jeanne and Appaci took care of the other red hollow. Soon both of them had faded, and they could set their eyes on the green hollow.

"Ulquiorra careful!" He heard Orihime's voice calling him. He felt the pull of pressure behind him as the green hollow prepared to attack. Before he could act he saw the woman put up a shield in front of him. The hollow spit out acid onto the shield, making it crack a little.

He could see Nnoitra in his resurreción charging towards the hollow, the woman was also shielding him from the acid, but it seemed they didn't know the acid could crack the shield. He didn't have time to tell them anything, as the former Espada used all of his weapons simultaneously to shatter the hollow's mask in. He succeeded in killing it, but when the mask broke it spilled acid onto him.

The woman released them all from the shields and quickly ran to Nnoitra's aid. Soon his wounds were healed, but small scars remained. Jeanne began to apply ointment and bandage him.

"I should get injured more often, I get two pretty healers to aid me." he grinned.

"Keep it up, and I will injure you." Jeanne pulled a little hard on the bandage, proving her point.

Halibel walked towards the group. "You all did well. it took you ten minutes to figure out how to defeat the hollows and you did it with minor complications. Mila and Cyan I would advise working on your speed, this particular hollow type is not very fast, but others might prove difficult if you do not work on your movement. Appaci and Jeanne you must attack with more force. Orihime-San you did well with the attack and shielding, however, we must find a way to test what substances are harmful to your shields, and how to strengthen them. As for Nnoitra I expect you not to rush into battle without knowing how the enemy works. It can be harmful to you and your comrades. Again I'm glad to see you have all done good progress. Rest a little before we return."

As the others rested, he wandered around, hoping to find the tree. It was just behind the dunes where they battled. What once was a gigantic hollow tree was now a group of throne filled sticks.

Ulquiorra was not sure how to feel. It's not like that tree had been anything special. It was merely his residence until he joined Aizen, a small speck of white in the silvery desert, just a tree. Still, he could feel his chest tighten at the sight.

Ulquiorra noticed a figure near the remains tree, it was like a shadow, the shadow of a human woman. 'Could it be...?' He concentrated his sight, knowing well that she was probably using her shikai.

Upon closer inspection, he could see her holding a blue glass box. 'That must be why she's here.'

Ulquiorra knew that he had to stop her from leaving with the box, the problem was that he needed assistance.

Thankfully he could see the woman and Halibel walking towards him. He pressed a finger to his lips, they didn't say a word as they headed towards him.

"What is it?" Halibel whispered.

"Anna is here. We can end everything right now."

"What? Here?! Vulnerable? That seems awfully suspicious. Maybe we shouldn't attack."

"She's right there! If we kill her now then it's all over!" Ulquiorra knew that it wouldn't be easy, but if they could defeat her now then her plans would fall apart. They would be safe, and with Aizen locked up there would be nothing else to worry about.

"It just seems too easy. It has to be a trap. You know her zanpakuto can be deadly if we handle it wrong. Let's just report it to the shinigami and let her be."

He would have, he didn't want to fight either, but that box was important to her. From the way it's existence was hidden in plain sight, to the fact that she chose to keep it where no shinigami would find it, he knew that if they kept that box from her it was all over.

"I'm going in." He whispered before heading out.

"Ulquiorra!" Halibel whispered in a growly voice but didn't try to stop him.

It was difficult to focus on Anna, he was the only one who could see her in that dark matter state. Finally, he was close enough to land a hit.

"Cero." He merely whispered the words, the green light didn't even touch his opponent.

"Is that how you greet an old friend. You're losing your manners Ulquiorra."

"You and I were never really friends."

"That hurts. Then again, I suppose you're right." From what he could see she had her sword in hand and the box on the other. "I shall not kill you, but if you interfere you shall regret it."

He didn't answer but rather he charged at her, gripping his sword as hard as he could as if that could help him. In this state, she was like a cloud of smoke. His blade went through her without effect.

"Perhaps it would be fair if I fought in my normal state." He could see her grip the hilt of the blurry blade and hold it near her heart. "Rearrange, Shuken seijōtai" as soon as she said those words she ceased to look like a ghost, now looking completely solid.

They resumed the fight only for Anna to block his strikes instead of slipping through them.

Ulquiorra was growing tired of clashing swords without any effect. Suddenly he felt Anna tense as if she had been hit. Then he noticed Orihime was behind her, and she had used her Koten Zanshun against her.

Orihime grabbed the box before it hit the floor. Upon touching it, however, he could see her flinching, her hands were bleeding onto the silver sand as she bit her lip in pain.

Anna didn't reach the ground, she quickly regained composure and turned towards Orihime "Hado #63, Raikoho!"

Ulquiorra tried to stop her before the words reached her lips, but it was too late. The small bursts of lighting fell upon Orihime in a flash. She didn't have time to react, much less shield. He rushed to her side, picking her up in his arms.

Anna had vanished with the box, but that seemed like nothing compared to the image before his eyes. Orihime was bleeding and her hands were burned.

"I'm sorry... I couldn't stop her." She said through ragged breaths.

In the distance, he could see the others rushing towards him. Jeanne was the first to arrive.

"What the fuck happened?" she was measuring the woman's vitals as fast as possible.

"Lighting Kido. Neither of us could stop her in time." Ulquiorra didn't know how he was speaking, it was as if his body was acting on its own. All he could do was stare at the woman.

"Her pulse is stable. We need to get her to Las Noches! Everyone move now!" She wrapped Orihime in a blanket and handed her to Ulquiorra. "You're faster than me. Let's go."

As he rushed to Las Noches, Anna's words echoed in his head. You shall regret it.

'She knew. She knew that the woman was nearby, she could tell!' Anger was bubbling up inside him. The only emotion he was familiar with and he detested it.

He felt Orihime shifting in his arms as another emotion took over. Fear.

* * *

  
The first thing she noticed was the freezing cold temperature, the floor was marbled white and the doors looked like they were made of glass.

'Where am I?' Orihime wondered. She stood up and began walking around the long hallway. 'This doesn't look like Las Noches.'

There was a noise near the end of the hall like a liquid was bubbling. Orihime followed the sound to a set of double glass doors. Inside there was a laboratory filled with tables, papers, and various boiling chemicals. At the back of the room, there was a blackboard with equations, a woman with long black hair was writing on it with white chalk.

The box was in a small stool beside her, already opened. Orihime couldn't see what was in it from this far, but it looked like a pale material 'Is that a bone?!' She tried to peer closer but accidentally hit a nearby stool, a bottle that was on it fell and crashed.

"What the-" Anna turned her head and her blue eyes fell immediately on her. "Oh dear, I think the dreamcatcher got messed up again. A bit unfortunate, right Orihime-Chan?"

Her words left her, she wasn't sure if she should run or try to fighting. 'It's just a dream.' she told herself. 'I'll wake up soon.'

"This could be a useful opportunity for us." Anna snapped her fingers and they were no longer at the lab, but rather a fancy looking room. They were sitting in front of a round table with tea, beside them there was a window that looked at nothing but open space.

"Are we on a ship?" Orihime couldn't contain her excitement, as she placed her hands on the window like a child.

Anna chuckled. "No dear, we're in a pocket dimension. I can change it into whatever I want, especially when I'm asleep." she poured two cups of tea and handed one to Orihime.

She was hesitant to drink until Anna drank first. The shinigami woman smiled. "Now, is there anything you'd like to talk about, Orihime-Chan?"

The question wasn't if she wanted, but rather where to begin. 'If I cannot fight you, at least I'll try to understand'

"Shizuka misses you. So does Hachi, and maybe even the arrancars..."

Anna's face softened. "That's nice to know. I do miss them too, especially Shizuka." She doubted those words were lies. It was the same tone she used when trying to talk about Sora. "The arrancar will be alright. I'm sure Hali is a great queen, and as for Hachigen-sensei, he can always find a better student. It's not like I could be of use like this."

She folded her sleeves up a little. Orihime saw that the flesh in her arm had red scorch marks all over, along with a circular scar around her wrists. The very sight of it felt painful, even more so after having experienced how she got them.

"Does it hurt?"

"Sometimes. I'm used to it by now. Bless Szayel and Jeanne for their glorious treatment." she joked while pulling her sleeve down again.

"Was he worth it? The fire, leaving the others, being trapped in here?"

The question caught Anna off guard, still, there wasn't anger in her eyes just amusement.

The shinigami woman looked at a silver ring in her left hand. "He is worth everything in my life. I wouldn't change a single second, no matter what." A chuckle escaped her lips. "I still remember the nerdy little boy that promised he was going to change the universe, and I promised I would do whatever it took to help him."

For her, it was hard to picture Aizen as a small child, yet by the look of Anna's nostalgic smile apparently, he had been a cute one. 'Have they been like this since they were kids?'

"Anna, why are you doing all this? You could go anywhere you like, be free of these plans and yet...you chose to keep going."

Anna put her empty teacup down, folding her hands over the table. "I had a feeling you would ask me that." She wasn't smiling anymore, her face was serene yet stern.

"I'll answer you with some questions of my own. Would you serve a king that does nothing for the society he created? Would you forgive a society that takes such poor care of the souls they swore to protect? Would you forgive a society whose justice system can fabricate treason charges to be rid of those who they want dead? Would you forgive a society that killed hundreds who spoke against them? Would you forgive them for bringing three other races to near extinction? Would you forgive them if they tried to burn you alive? Would you forgive them if they locked up the person you love more than anything in eternal darkness?"

"No. I wouldn't."

"Then you already have my answer."

Orihime nodded. She felt drained from just hearing the things Anna said.

"You seem to trust me a lot. Why?"

Anna softly raised Orihime's chin with her hand. "I trust you because I know you're more inclined to listen. Sosuke was willing to explain this to Kurosaki Ichigo had he asked, but the child would only obey the Soul Society. You have loyalty to them too but said loyalty is not blinding. No one else would have dared bring an enemy back to life, no one else you have stood up for the arrancars, no one I know is as kind as you Orihime-Chan. Which is why I'm certain I can trust you."

The room was beginning to grow dark fading away into nothingness. "It seems you're being transported to another dream." Anna stood up. "Until we see each other again, Orihime-Chan."

Everything disappeared for a moment and she found herself outside a traditional looking Japanese mansion. For a moment she thought she was at Soul Society, then she heard someone approaching. It wasn't a shinigami or a Rungokai soul. She could recognize that calm pace and glowing eyes everywhere.

"Ulquiorra?"


	13. We were Rain & Sorrow

**Chapter 13: We were Sorrow & Rain**

At first glance, he looked the same, pale skin, black hair, and green eyes. It wasn't until he was beside her that she saw he had a scar across his right eye, his clothes also resembling the ones ronin wore.

Orihime tried to touch his shoulder but her hand slipped right through. 'I guess he can't see me.'

The door of the mansion creaked open. Orihime almost screamed when she saw the person at the other side. The woman looked just like her, but her hair was dark brown and her eyes were hazel.

"Hello! You must be the samurai my parents called. Kanashi-Dono right?"

He nodded. The girl smiled. "I'm Ame Ugaya. I'll take you to my parents."

Orihime followed the pair, she was sure that these were her and Ulquiorra's past lives. 'So it's true, we've met in every lifetime'

Ame led them to a beautiful office, there was middle-aged man and woman there. They slightly resembled Ame, she had her mother's brown hair and her father's eyes.

"Kanashi-dono. Thank you for arriving on such short notice. Would you like some tea, or onigiri perhaps?" The man asked him.

Kanashi shook his head. "No, thank you sir. If it's not too much trouble may I ask why you sent for me?"

The man chuckled. "Always a responsible lad I see. My wife and I are leaving for Heian tomorrow and we'd like to hire you as Ame's personal guard."

Both Ame and Kanashi seemed surprised. Eventually, the ronin spoke. "I'm honored you would choose me for this task. However no one has ever been placed under my protection, perhaps you should hire a man with more experience."

"We understand your concern, but Hikaru and I have come to the conclusion that you're the only man we trust with this task. If it makes you feel at ease Ame-Chan does not leave the house at all, the only thing we want is for you to keep an eye on her. We'll be back in seven months and the payment will be done upfront." the woman had a kind smile as she spoke, seemingly expecting this reaction from Kanashi.

He bowed slightly. "If it means so much to you then I shall accept your offer."

"Excellent! Ame-Chan please be a dear and take Kanashi-Dono to his room."

The girl agreed and they left the office

Orihime followed them, somehow the halls and turns of the house seemed familiar to her. 'This is what the others meant. The bits and pieces that you never forget.'

"I'm sorry that you got stuck babysitting me." Ame's voice broke the heavy silence.

"I don't mind being your guard Lady Ame, my apologies if it sounded that way. I'm concerned about this task, given that my usual errands are more of the violent variety."

"Oh, so that's how you and father became good friends! Were you together on the battlefield?"

"Yes, we've fought in many battles together. It's thanks to your father that I only got a scar, and did not lose my head. I owe him a lot, and I hope to be a friend to you too Lady Ame."

Ame gave him a big smile. "I'd like that very much! I've never had any friends."

"Now you have one."

"Here we are." Ame opened the door to a simple yet comfy room. "Good night. I'll see you tomorrow Kanashi-San!"

"Good Night."

Orihime decided to follow Ame. When her previous incarnation fell asleep Orihime went around the room, trying to find other details that could tell her more about this previous life.

Ame's closet was full of flowery kimonos, and most of the books in the shelves were romantic novels and epics, along with an astronomy book. Ame even slept on her side with her hand under the pillow.

'This is so bizarre.' It was amusing to see how many things hadn't changed when she reincarnated. The last thing she checked was an old calendar, the date read March 26, 1570.

'This is the warring states period.' Orihime remembered what they'd been thought about that time at school. There were lots of wars throughout the country, mostly because of Nobunaga's unification process.

'I need to find out where we are.' Orihime looked out the window. She saw the front entrance of the mansion and many smaller buildings around, near the horizon there was a lake. 'If that's Lake Biwa and this is Omi Province during 1570...Oh no'

She remembered there was a decisive battle taking place during July of 1570. Unless they left before July 30, it was likely her previous life ended then.

Suddenly the room became blurry, in a flash it was sunrise. Orihime checked the calendar again it was April 3rd.

She looked for Ame and Kanashi. They were out in the front yard drinking tea.

Kanashi was sharpening his katana while Ame poured herself another cup of tea. "Ne, Kanashi-San do you mind if I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"How did you get your name? It just seems so strange to name a child 'sorrow' "

"It does seem uncanny. As far as I been told the ladies at the orphanage named me that way because I didn't smile as a baby."

She found it sort of sad that Ulquiorra hadn't smiled before, and that he didn't smile now either.

"What about you Lady Ame? Why did your parents name you 'rain'?"

"I was the biggest crybaby ever. When I started crying nothing could shut me up, except the rain. As soon as the first drops hit the roof of the house I went quiet. Actually, I think I'm still a big crybaby." Ame chuckled.

Kanashi raised an eyebrow. "Please do not cry in front of me, I can never console crying women."

Both Ame and Orihime started laughing. 'That's a lie, you've comforted me plenty during this lifetime.'

"Is it scary? The battles?"

"They can be. The first times I went into battle were horrifying, but in a way, if it had not been for these battles I would have never met any of the people I know now. You feel strong when you hold a sword."

"Can you teach me to use one?"

Kanashi looked at her. "Very well, but you'll hate me afterward."

"I could never hate you."

Orihime saw the scenery beginning to shift again, this time the trees in the yard didn't have cherry blossoms but green shiny leaves. 'We're nearing summer.' Before doing anything else she went back to Ame's room and checked the calendar 'April 17th. July will be here soon.' she shook her head trying to concentrate on the happy memories she was seeing.

Orihime rushed to the yard again and found them there. Kanashi was teaching Ame how the hold a katana. The girl's cheeks were red and she puffy "I keep telling you it's pretty heavy."

"It is if you don't tighten your grip. Here, do it like this." Kanashi held Ame's hand trying to help her hold the sword better. Orihime chuckled when she noticed that his head was resting on Ame's shoulder. When the pair noticed this they blushed and turned away from each other. "Now, try to swing."

"Ok." Ame swung the sword very hard but ended up falling down on the grass.

Orihime didn't want to laugh but the way Ame ended up facedown on an anthill had her in tears.

"I think I just swallowed some ants."

She heard someone else chuckle and looked at Kanashi. He quickly tried to calm himself, but Ame had already seen him.

"Is the mighty Kanashi laughing?"

"No, I am not."

"Liar. You're laughing because I fell flat on the ground. How cruel."

"I am not laughing."

"Hmm. Sure you aren't." Ame kicked Kanashi's legs and he lost balance, falling down beside her. "Now I can say I ate ants and you can say you ate grass."

He looked annoyed, but that didn't last long as it began to rain. Ame began laughing and letting herself get soaked, while Kanashi discretely picked up some mud and threw it at her.

Instead of getting angry Ame laughed even harder and threw mud at him too. Kanashi started laughing, not bothering to hide it this time. The two of them kept having their little mud fight, eventually falling into the koi pond in the middle of the yard.

'That does seem like something we'd do.' Orihime saw as Kanashi got out of the pond and helped Ame up. "I believe we must work more on your stance, but if it helps perhaps you could get your opponent to laugh."

Ame shrugged. "I'll take whatever I can get Sensei...what was your last name?"

"I don't have one. Since I was never adopted, I swore to take the family name of the woman I married."

"That sounds so romantic!"

Kanashi blushed. "Everyone I've ever told about this said it was silly. Thank you for being the exception."

The images around her faded away yet again, leaving her in darkness before appearing again in Ame's room. This time the calendar read May 1st. The pair was sitting in the floor of Ame's room. Both her and Kanashi were looking at a book with confusion.

"Out of all the countries my parents had to trade with, why did they have to choose Spain!" Ame groaned. "Seriously these words are so weird! What does this even mean?" she showed the book to Kanashi.

"I suppose it says 'El que llora.' It means the one who cries."

"I'm jealous you can understand this better than me." Ame looked at the book again and tried to pronounce the word. "Ulquiorra?"

Orihime felt her heart sink. 'So, this is why his name changed as a hollow.'

"That's not it, but it sounds rather lovely. Ok, try to read this one."

"Schiffer?"

"Close enough, It says Lucifer. Abrahamic religions regard him as their God's archnemesis."

"Oh, so that's what the book is about? Lucifer?"

"I suppose, the very little I understand seems to be about religion. Maybe we should take a break."

Ame put the book down. "No need to tell me twice."

Kanashi groaned in pain and gripped his scarred eye. "Kanashi-San!" Ame quickly held his arm, trying to soothe him.

"It'll be alright. This just happens from time to time." A couple of minutes later Kanashi removed his hand from his eye. It was dripping blood.

"Should I can a medic?" Ame asked him.

He shook his head. "It's normal. Just a vein that never got better." Kanashi leaned against the wall. "I wouldn't mind it if it wasn't a hindrance in battle. It's another reason why I didn't want to be your bodyguard at first. You deserve better than a faulty warrior."

Ame wiped the blood from his eye and kissed his scar. "I'm happy to have you as my warrior. If you like I will learn to be your healer.

Kanashi's eyes widened at the gesture. "Yes, my healing princess."

Ame chuckled. "How'd you know I've always wanted to be a princess?"

"You act just like one."

Ame chuckled and leaned her head on his shoulder. Trying to calm him down.

The background shifted again. Landing her at 'May 24th' The pair was spending time in Ame's room again. Ame was drawing while Kanashi stood still. Orihime guessed she was making a portrait of him.

"Did I ever tell you, why I was never adopted?"

"Not that I recall."

"They said my green eyes were the eyes of a demon. Not just the Japanese couples, but even the European ones said things like Lucifer child, or diabolic gaze. Nobody knew I had heard them."

Ame stopped painting. "I'm sorry, that you had to hear that. For me it's the opposite, your eyes are one of the features I find most attractive in a man. Through people's eyes, you see their intentions, their feelings, their souls, eyes are more than just for superficial gazes." She began to paint again. "And when I look into your eyes, I see a kind warrior with a heart of still. A man of strength, honor, and beauty."

Kanashi stood up from where he was sitting and moved towards Ame. Orihime saw the painting was completed. Looking exactly like the two of them posing in front of the mansion. Kanashi, however, didn't pay the painting any mind, and instead looked to Ame.

"You're the only person who can make me feel like I'm worth something, Ame Ugaya." He was cupping her face in his hands. "I never knew what falling in love was, but just by looking at you I know now."

Ame was tearing up, she placed her hand over Kanashi's and laughed. "Who would have thought that my dear warrior would say the words I've wanted to tell him since the moment we've met."

"You mean it?"

"Of course I do, silly! Ever since I first saw you my heart began racing like crazy. As we've gotten closer to each other I can tell that small feeling has grown and taken over me so sweetly."

Again she saw him smile. "I love you my healer princess."

"I love you too my warrior."

The couple shared a kiss before everything went dark again.

This time Orihime saw glimpses of the couple together; holding hands, talking, watching the rains, reading the Spanish books, Laying on the grass at night and staring at the stars. In between all that, they became closer than ever. 'June 14th.' she read before floating up like a ghost and finding the couple on the roof atop the mansion. It was late at night, and due to the absence of luminous contamination at the time period, everything could be seen clearly, even without a telescope.

"It's starting!" Ame squealed as she gripped Kanashi's arm.

"There they are." He said.

Orihime stared at the sky, a meteor shower was taking place. Thousands of shiny lights briefly illuminating the dark sky with the most vibrant colors.

"I've always wondered if we are truly alone in the universe. If somewhere beyond this planet, there is a creature observing the same colorful lights. Can we really be alone in a universe so wide?

"We are not." Kanashi and Orihime answered in unison. The latter stared at him for a second, both with surprise and admiration. "There's much the human race has yet to explore. I'm sure that one day, we will walk among the stars."

"That day shall soon come, and we'll be able to see the beauty of our system in all its splendor. I just hope you're there by my side, however lifetimes it may take to get there."

Kanashi took Ame's hand and kissed it. "I'll be there, that I can promise."

She rested her head on his shoulder, never letting go of his hand. Soon the shiny lights across the sky vanished, leaving them in darkness. 'The time is nearing.'

The glimpses went by at an accelerated rate only to be stopped again on July 7 ' It's Tanabata! They Only 23 days left!' Orihime whispered. She began to feel anxious. It didn't make any sense to be this worried. For her to be born, her past self had to die. What was she so worried about? Ame Ugaya must've been dead for at least 400 years. 'I just hope they die of old age.' she prayed, but part of her knew that wasn't true.

The couple was putting their paper wishes on a bamboo tree, smiling once they were pinned. "Done. Want to take a look?" Ame asked.

Kanashi read the paper she had pinned to the tree. He looked completely shocked. "...Do you mean it?"

"Yes. I want to be with you. I want to be your princess, now and forever. Will you have me as your wife Kanashi?"

He didn't respond with words, instead, he pulled her into a kiss. The two stayed there for what seemed like an eternity, eventually pulling away.

"You could've just said yes." Ame laughed, her face was as red as a tomato.

"It wouldn't have been as fun." Kanashi looked less flustered, but still a bit red. "You know, I wrote the same thing."

'He didn't!' Orihime read the paper he pinned to the tree. The kanji read: 'I want to be your warrior, for as long as our hearts beat. If you'd do me the honor of becoming my wife.

"Have Hikaru-Sama and Okoe-Sama been told?"

"Yes. They were overjoyed to receive my letter. In fact, they've sent us this." Ame handed him a beautiful piece of shiny glass. In it were the kanji for Ame Ugaya and Kanashi Ugaya, painted with silver dust.

Kanashi's eyes watered. "This is all, I ever wanted. It's almost too perfect to be true." He kissed Ame again. "You're my whole heart, dear princess."

Time again speed up, showing only small fragments of the happy couple for one last time. Orihime was in tears by now. 'Let me wake up before they nightmares start!' she pleaded to whoever might listen. Her prayers went unheard, as crimson stained her vision.

The dreaded day arrived, but there was no calendar to mark it. No calendar, nor room, nor house. Everything was engulfed by flames. In her state, Orihime easily slipped through the fire and falling debris. There wasn't anyone at the mansion, the yard was also in flames, only vague shadows could be seen. She recognized the shimmering green eyes in the smoky melee.

Kanashi was fighting, and Ame was there with him, using that old katana she once considered heavy with great ease. They took down many enemy soldiers until Kanashi's bad eye began to bleed, and he lost balance. His opponent used this as an opportunity to mortally wound him.

Orihime wanted to tear her eyes away, to wake up, to do anything other than seeing him die again. Apparently, Ame did as well, because she placed herself directly between the soldier and Kanashi, taking the fatal stab herself.

'No!' Orihime And Kanashi screamed in unison. After Ame was wounded the enemy retreated. She could hear some of them say their mission was complete. 'The Ugaya must've been loyal to the losing clans.' she concluded. What better way to get back at your enemy than to kill their precious daughter?

"Ame! Ame stay with me!" Kanashi's broken voice felt like a stab. "Please don't close your eyes! I'll carry you to safety, hang in there!" He begged her with tears in his eyes. "Don't go!"

Ame shook her head. "I can't last long my love. I'm sorry Kanashi, we should've had more time." The red ribbon was fully visible to Orihime, she could feel Ame slowly slipping away.

"This is my fault, I failed you! You were the most precious thing in this mess of a life and I dared to fail you!" He was uncontrollable, desperately holding onto Ame's bleeding form. "Forgive me."

"You could never fail me..." she coughed up blood. "I love you, my warrior, may we meet again in the next life."

"I love you too my princess."

They shared one last kiss before Ame closed her eyes forever. Kanashi picked her up and made his way toward the burning mansion.

'No! Ulquiorra no!' Orihime screamed loudly, but he didn't hear her. Shee went in after him.

Kanashi placed Ame's body on the floor. The flames had yet to reach this room. "You were the daughter of the only people who have truly trusted me, the first and only woman I loved, and the last thing I want to gaze upon before I leave this world in shame." He took out his katana, still dripping with blood. "Perhaps it would've been better not to know such joy, for I would have never felt the pain of losing it."

'No! Please don't Ulquiorra!' By now Orihime was on her knees tugging at his clothes, they slipped through her fingers every time. 'Stop!'

"I would trade all my senses, for a sight that could have protected you. Now I submit to eternal darkness. If only time had stopped when I first loved you."

She could tell what he was doing. Reciting a funeral verse, before he took his own life. He couldn't even write it down like it was supposed to be done. He simply repeated the words as he pointed the sword at his chest.

Only seconds passed, as the sword pierced his heart, and was then cast away, as his blood spilled. Orihime could only look at the two bodies before the fire engulfed them. She could see he managed to hold her hand before passing on. Soon there was nothing but ash and smoke around her. Rain began to pour down on the wreckage, there was nothing left other than Kanashi's sword and the silvery trinket with their names engraved on it.

The scenery changed again, she was back in the darkness. On a dark pit with black showdowns with ivory fangs glared at her with disgust. 'Ulquiorra, this is what happened to him afterward.'

Everything fell into place like the pieces of a messed up puzzle. Why he didn't have a heart, why he was in that pit, why he was so nihilistic, why his eyes always worked...

She wandered through the desert, saw everything through his eyes; the hundreds of hollows he tore apart, the monotone background and starless sky, the wounds he had, and the cold sand underneath his feet. It hellish to not hear anything, to not smell or even taste. 'How did he survive?' It was all she could ask. 'Was he looking for me?' she wondered. Often enough black and white flashes of Ame flashed through her mind, they were brief and sudden, but they were there.

Eventually, she found the white thorn tree, and sunk into it, breaking the sides of her mask. She gained the ability to hear, along with gashes brought on by the thorns.

The endless white with the few drops of crimson was calming. This was the calmest she had felt since the time at the pit. 'This is the closest thing he felt to happiness. Is it still his happiest memory? Have I been able to change that, or am I so useless than I can't even make him happy?

She heard a familiar voice calling. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

She got out of the tree, meeting with the pair of icy blue eyes she was expecting to see.

"Sorry to bother you, I thought you were wounded."

"What is a shinigami doing here? Have you come to kill me?" Speaking in Ulquiorra's tone felt so strange.

Anna shook her head. "Not at all. You see I'm not a normal shinigami, I work with someone who's trying to change the shinigami world. He's looking for warriors, and since you seem like a strong fella I thought you would like to join us."

She remained silent. Unsure of what to say, or what to do. "What would I gain from going with you?"

"You could have your senses back, all of them. You'd also be infinitely more powerful, even surpassing your Vasto Lorde state. What do you say?"

"I'm interested. What shall I call you?"

"My name is Anna Maria De La Rosa. You may call me Anna for short. What about you? Do you have a name?"

"Ulquiorra Schiffer."

Without warning, she woke up gasping. It took her a few moments to realize she was still in Hueco Mundo. The dim moonlight coming through the window and the familiar fabric of her blanket made her realize this was her old cell room.

There were tears on her pillow, and on the sheets. She wiped her eyes and looked around the room. Across from her, there was another couch, Ulquiorra was laying on it.

"Ulquiorra?" She stood up and walked towards him. The moment she touched his arm he looked at her. With tears dripping down his eyes.

***

How could the woman continuously do this without falling ill he'd never understand. His lungs felt as if they were being crushed and his head was killing him. "I saw it too." he managed to say.

Orihime sat beside him, she delicately wiped his tears away in an effort to soothe him.

"In every lifetime, all I have brought you is pain!" He hit the wall beside him so hard that it cracked. "You deserve better than to suffer for my sake! The stab, the kido burns, the accord with the shinigami! All of it because of my cursed existence!" The words felt like glass being shoved down his throat. "I should have perished at the canopy battle and cease to be a burden on you!"

She placed her hand on his lips to silence him. "Don't ever say something like that again!" her tone was not angry, but rather sad. "You are not a burden to me! Every day I am grateful to have you in my life, the mere thought of losing you breaks my heart. I don't know what I would do if I never heard your deep voice calling me 'woman' again." Her voice cracked and she was crying by this point. "Sometimes I have dreams when you turn to ash and slip away forever, dreams where there's nobody else in the house but me, no other voice or pair of shoes by the door, dreams of emptiness and guilt. Ulquiorra, I want you to stay with me, happy and safe." Her words were so beautiful and pure that he couldn't bring himself to believe them.

"That doesn't erase the horrifying things that happened before. The way I treated you was unforgivable if Kurosaki hadn't torn me to pieces..." he shivered as a thousand dark thought went through his head. "The only thing that binds us is the soul ribbon!"

He wanted to push her away but she wouldn't let go. "Ribbon bond or not, I would do it all over again! The things that happened before are nothing compared to the joy you've given me now. Even as we were just a captor and a jailer, I could see the good in you. There were moments where I was angry, or worried, or sad, but never scared. Not of you, never of you. I need you Ulquiorra, more than you can imagine."

'She's always going to win me over, isn't she?' he thought.

"I suppose walking among the stars without a partner would be lonely."

She giggled as tears still stained her silver eyes. "Yes, who's going to fight the raygun aliens with me?" she joked.

"Maybe we'll both be robots by then."

"Wouldn't that be fun!"

There it was, the melodic laughter that made it seem as if the room was filled with light. He gave her a soft kiss on the forehead, pleased when she blushed profusely. "Thank you, Orihime Inoue."

Neither of them spoke anymore after that. Orihime let him rest his head on her chest, so he could listen to her heartbeat. He knew it was something he could never have, but it was alright, her heart was enough for the both of them. Its steady rhythm was incredibly calming, along with the way she was softly caressing his hair. This time he fell asleep with no nightmares.


	14. Slowly Mending

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! A quick announcement before I go on. I've decided to divide the fic into two parts. Part one ends after the final showdown and part two begins afterwards. I won't go into details since that's spoiler territory, but in between those parts I'll be writing a small prequel that answers some questions about the 'villainous' characters and the OC's (Aizen, Anna, the fullbringers, etc.) seeing as those elements will come into play in part two. Most of the prequel will be based on my headcanons so it does not follow the manga per se. If you're not into that, you can skip the prequel and read part 2 without it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!

©Bleach and its characters don't belong to me, they belong to Tite Kubo and Shonen Jump. The only characters that belong to me are Shizuka, Anna Maria, and Jeanne.

**Chapter 14: Slowly Mending**

"You think they fucked?"

"Of course not you idiot! They would've locked the doors! Besides can you see they're clothed! Now shut up, we'll wake em!"

Orihime awoke to the sound of bickering voices. Jeanne and Nnoitra were bringing a cart with trays and a jar of water.

"Sorry to wake you girlie. We're glad you guys are doing better."

"And cuddly too." Nnoitra snickered.

It was then Orihime realized Ulquiorra was still sleeping on her chest. 'This looks so wrong.' she didn't mind it, but it was clear her arrancar friends had imagined something else.

"Thanks for looking out for us. Sorry for all the trouble."

"No trouble at all girlie. Once you guys eat Halibel called a meeting in the throne room. See ya there!"

When the others exited the room. Orihime slowly ran her fingers through Ulquiorra's hair, trying to wake him. He stirred a little, removing his hands from her waist.

"Ulquiorra, it's morning."

He still looked exhausted from last night, his eyes were glossy and his movent slow. "Good morning woman."

"Good morning Ulquiorra. The others brought us breakfast. Before we leave we need to meet with Halibel."

He nodded and ate his meal in silence, Orihime could tell the previous events had shaken him. 'It's not every day that you find out how you died.' she was still surprised too. That her previous life was so short and bittersweet, and that she had known Ulquiorra back then too. 'I I will wait until he wants to talk, it's only fair.'

When their meal was done they felt awake enough and headed for the throne room. Everyone was waiting.

"How are you two feeling?" Halibel asked.

"We're fine, just a bit sleepy. What about everyone else?"

"We're unharmed. Anna left before she could cause more damage. Seeing how she didn't set her sights on us or Las Noches we can assume we're safe for now." Jeanne confirmed her suspicions.

"We saw her take a box. Apparently, her old teacher had entrusted her with its contents. I'm still unsure of what they were-"

"Bones. They were bones." Orihime cut Ulquiorra off. She saw them in Anna's dream, at first she was not sure, but as she replayed the memory on her head it became clear.

"What would Anna want with bones?" Nnoitra asked. "Seems pointless."

"Perhaps they're bones from an important person? Latin American cultures take burial seriously." Gantenbine mentioned.

"No. I doubt that. If she wanted to give them burial then she could have left the box back at the tree. Those bones must be important."

***  
The meeting was short-lived after that, all they did was discuss the security procedures for future attacks. Once they were safe at Karakura Ulquiorra urged Orihime to stay home and rest.

"I'm fine Ulquiorra really. My arms are fine now."

"That may be so, but we'd better not take any risks. I shall inform Mrs. Chiyo that you're injured. Now rest, Kukkapuro will tend to you while I am gone."

The pup barked in agreement as he settled in Orihime's lap. She laughed and pet his head. "Okay. I'll see you when you get back to work."

He nodded and left the house. The walk to the bakery felt somewhat lonely without Orihime, he missed her enthusiastic tone as she pointed out the events happening around them. On the other hand, he still had things to think about.

'I knew she was familiar.' Ever since the day of their first encounter he felt drawn to her. 'Everyone else noticed it too. That must've been why Lord Aizen entrusted her to me. He knew that I would care for her.'

Although he doubted 'care' properly described their initial interactions. She was shattered when he brought her to Hueco Mundo, but still, her fire reigned underneath and nothing he did made her break. He remembered how she recited the vow with empty eyes, and an unwavering voice, he remembered when she slapped him when he insulted her friends, or that time in the throne room when she was standing with her head held high trusting the others would come to her aid.

'I was the monster in her story, but she forgave me. I wouldn't expect less from her.'

He decided it would be best to let it go. If Orihime forgave him, and she was happy to have him then that was all that mattered.

The bakery was empty when he arrived. Chiyo and the others were already in their stations.

"Good Morning Ulquiorra-Kun."

"Good Morning Miss Chiyo. I'm sorry to inform you that Orihime cannot come to work today. She was injured yesterday."

"Oh dear, is she alright?"

"Minor burns, she's fine. I'll do her work if it's necessary."

"Oh no darling, I'm not making you work two shifts. I'll handle the baking station, you can just take the cash register."

"Yes, ma'am."

Ulquiorra knew he didn't have the charisma or charm Orihime usually display. At least nobody complained through the day when he served them.

Nearing his break he noticed a familiar face come through the door. It was a pink haired girl in a black dress. The same one the woman had bumped into back at the club. She ordered a dozen doughnuts. As he was charging the order she leaned closer.

"I know what you and your girlfriend are. We want to help against Anna." she whispered.

Ulquiorra didn't change expression as he stared her in the eyes. "Who's we?"

She handed him two black envelopes. "Come to the club at midnight, you'll know then."

They continued acting as if nothing had happened. Eventually, she walked out the door. Ulquiorra stared at the envelopes unsure of what to do. He tucked them in his pocket when his shift ended he would rush home and discuss this with Orihime.

***  
A knock on the door made Orihime get off the bed. Kukkapuro followed her downstairs, as she opened the door.

"Tatsuki-Chan."

"Hi. I'd really love to talk to you, if you want."

"Sure, come on in."

She had wanted to talk to Tatsuki for a while now. Her anger had subsided in the past few days, and she did miss her friend greatly.

Orihime brought a jar of lemonade to the living room. Tatsuki was playing with Kukkapuro while she waited.

"You always wanted a puppy, I'm glad that after all of that you got one."

Orihime chuckled. "He's a total sweetheart. I'm happy to have him."

Kukkapuro seemingly blushed a little and curled himself into a ball. Tatsuki kept petting him. "Are you doing alright? Your arms are bandaged."

Orihime had almost forgotten that Jeanne had bandaged her up before leaving Hueco Mundo. "I just had a run in with Anna. I'm fine now."

"Wait! She was here? Did she get to anyone else?!"

"No! She wasn't here. Yesterday she was at Hueco Mundo, presumably retrieving something. We tried to stop her but she caught us off guard. I'm not sure where she'll strike next."

"That's too bad, she got away, but I'm glad you guys are safe."

"Thanks, I know you always worry."

Tatsuki nodded. "Listen, I wanted to talk to you about what happened. Between the three of us."

"I had a feeling you'd say that. I'm no longer angry, I just want closure. So just tell me everything from the beginning. And I'll listen."

Tatsuki had finished her drink. She put the glass on the table and began to talk. "I had started having feelings for Ichigo when we were little, around the time we were at the karate dojo together. After his mother died and I protected him from bullies we became closer. Time went on and I realized that maybe all we would ever be were best friends, so I came to terms with it.

When I met you I found another person I could call my best friend. We became as close as sisters, and seeing how you were also in love with Ichigo I was resolved to making sure you two were happy together.

When the battle with Aizen finished and Ichigo lost his powers I tried to remind him there were still many things he could do, much more to enjoy than just fighting, and I did hint that he could try to start dating you, even if it was just to regain some normality. Apparently, it worked and you guys got together. Once that was sorted out, I asked him to explain everything the night the other shinigami arrived. It was as if that distance he put between us had been closed, at long last things could go back to the way they used to be.

The week before the incident Ichigo and I began hanging out a lot more. Now that there were no secrets between us, it was as if we went back to childhood. The kiss that day was a spur of the moment thing. We both regretted afterward, and we were going to tell you, but you already knew... I'm so sorry Orihime."

Everything began to make sense. From the start, she knew Ichigo and Tatsuki were closer than just buddies. Tatsuki knew how he was as a child, she knew his mother, his sorrows, and was practically a part of the Kurosaki family. 'I was just too blind to see it.' Thankfully now she had begun to understand. 'I don't think Ichigo would have even looked at me if it hadn't been for Tatsuki...' It hurt to admit it, that she'd spent years in love with someone who saw her only as a nakama. Someone who didn't really know her well, and who she didn't know well either. 'Tatsuki can read him, she's not afraid to be rough with him, or call him out on his mistakes. I just turned into a mess when I tried to help. Always such a mess.'

Orihime felt as if someone was stepping on her chest. The realization was crushing, but she did not cry. 'It's over, and that's okay.'

She smiled at Tatsuki. Sure of what she would say next. "If that's the truth, I want you two to be happy, and if you found that with each other I don't want to be in your way. Tatsuki you have been my best friend for many years, and the sole reason I didn't fall into despair after Sora passed away. You mean more to me than a silly crush that didn't work out. So don't worry, everything is alright between us."

The black haired girl smiled with tears in her eyes, relief washing over her face. "Thank you, Orihime."

The two girls hugged. Orihime noticed that it lasted longer than usual 'You've never been much of a hugger Tatsuki-Chan.' she didn't mind it.

They were startled by the sound of the door opening. "Ulquiorra must have gotten back from work."

"If that's the case I'll leave you two to your business. I need to go help mom with the Christmas preparations."

"Your family is coming over again?"

Tatsuki groaned. "Yes, now there's one more with my aunt's new baby. I'll see you soon."

"Alright, see ya Tatsuki."

"See ya, and thanks for listening."

"No problem."

Orihime stared at her best friend until she disappeared in the distance. She felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, ever since she came back from Hueco Mundo she wanted to talk to her, it seemed like Tatsuki had the same idea.

"Sorry I took so long. I'll serve you dinner now." Ulquiorra was sitting on the table, waiting for her to come back from the door.

"I do not mind. It's good to see you're fixing things with your friend. I have something to discuss with you."

"Really? Ok then, what is it?"

She placed Ulquiorra's plate of stew in front of him and one for Kukkapuro on the floor. Once they were ready to eat Ulquiorra handed her two envelopes, one white and one black.

"What are these?"

"The white one is your 'Christmas bonus' Mrs. Chiyo handed them out today. The second is still a mystery."

Orihime opened the black envelope. Inside there was a card, similar to the one given at hotels. It read 'Welcome to our Xcution.'

"This is so strange. Do you know who gave it to you?"

"It was the same pink haired lady you bumped into that night at the dance club."

"Oh, then maybe it came from Shizuka's boss. Although, I'm not sure what he would want from us."

"Apparently they're aware of Anna's plan and wish to offer their assistance. I do not know who they are or what they would want in exchange. They asked to meet at midnight tonight at the club."

Orihime wasn't sure what to do. This strange invitation didn't endear her in the slightest, still, she knew this was an emergency and they needed all the  
help they could get.

"I'll ask Shizuka-San about it after dinner."

***  
To his surprise, Shizuka had also been given a black envelope with an Xcution card. She walked with them to the club, looking just as skeptical as them. The group was surprised to see Sado and Ichigo were already there.

"Guys? What are you doing here?" Shizuka asked.

"Ginjo-San called us here too."

"Ginjo? My boss?"

"That is correct Shizuka-San!"

A tall man with dark hair greeted them, he remembered him from the night of the club. The pink haired girl was accompanying him.

"I'm sure you all have your questions. Please take a seat and I'll explain everything shortly."

They went to the table area and sat down. The man proceeded to speak. "My name is Kugo Ginjo, I am the leader of Xcution. We are a group of humans with supernatural abilities, otherwise known as fullbringers. Our powers resemble those of hollows and allows us to fight them just a shinigami would. We want to help you fight against Anna Maria."

"How do you know about her?" Shizuka asked, looking a little concerned. "She was thought as dead until very recently."

"Your sister saved me and many other fullbringers from a disaster some decades ago. I am eternally grateful for her assistance back then, still, I know how much havoc she could bring if she's not stopped." Ginjo took out a wooden object and placed it on the table.

"Is that a substitute badge?" Ichigo seemed surprised to see the object.

"Yes. I was a substitute shinigami just like you. However, my power has faded as well. This is why I want to help you."

'Because he cannot fight her himself.' That much made sense to him. Debts of gratitude were common amongst all species. However, he was unsure as to why Anna would save the fullbringers, if she would gain nothing from it. 'There's something he's not telling us.'

"The reason why I called you specifically is because two of you already have fullbring abilities, one of you is a good candidate for developing them, and the other two of you may help increase their power."

Ulquiorra didn't need to guess who fitted each description. He was not interested in working with Kurosaki, much less if it was going to importunate the woman, his cooperation depended on her answer.

"Why would you wait so long to tell us, or keep your abilities hidden. Rose and I have worked for you for a while now, Ginjo-San."

"I'm sorry if it seems like I was being secretive, I had to make sure you were all spiritually aware, otherwise all I'm telling you would sound like a madman's ramblings."

He wouldn't argue with that logic. Anyone else would dismiss this as nonsense. Ulquiorra was never sure of how to classify Sado or Inoue's abilities, but they fit the description. Kurosaki might be powerless now, but he was in good shape, and proper guidance could help him fight again.

"If you chose to train with us, then we will help you perfect your abilities." He said to Sado and Orihime. Then he turned towards him and Shizuka. "I'd like to ask you both to help with your comrade's training, as you're close and it will help ease the process." Finally, he turned to Ichigo. "I cannot guarantee you'll recover your Soul Reaper powers, as I myself have been unable to. However, you could develop a fullbring which would allow you to return to the battle."

Ginjo stood up. "I'll give you three days to decide. Should you say yes come to this address and bring the keys that were in your envelopes."

***

Orihime weighted all that she'd been told in her head. At least now she knew what her powers were, and that they could be strengthened even further. Ginjo did seem like a nice person, but all of this seemed too sudden for her liking.

After Ginjo had finished she was the first to leave, with Ulquiorra beside her.

"What are you going to do?" He asked her as they walked home.

"I don't know. The idea of training specifically for my powers is tempting, and if you're allowed to help then that does bring me peace. On the other hand, there's something odd about this. How come the Fullbringers know so much about Anna, or about us for that matter? It's unsettling."

"I won't tell you what to chose, but if you do want to train with them then I will provide assistance."

"Thanks, Ulquiorra. I'm grateful to know I can count on you for anything."

She took his hand and he didn't seem to object. Ever since yesterday's incident, he'd been more quiet, staring off into the distance.

"Ulquiorra, is everything alright?"

"Yes. I was just thinking about all of this. Anna, the war, the fullbringers, the bond. It's quite different from what I expected to happen after we came home for the first time."

She chuckled, happy that he'd referred to Karakura as his 'home'

"I feel the same way. Everything is happening so fast and I have made decisions and discovered I would have thought possible before, but most importantly I've come to the conclusion of what I will do regarding my five lifetimes."

He stopped walking. "What do you mean?"

Before she could answer a deep pull of spiritual pressure threw them off balance. This wasn't an ordinary hollow.

"It's a Menos Grande." Ulquiorra confirmed. "We must hurry."

They rushed towards the pressure and indeed they found a gigantic hollow almost the size of a skyscraper.

"Should we attack him, or do we wait for reinforcements?"

Ulquiorra glared at the hollow. "I shall take care of it myself. It's been some time since I use my release. You might want to step back."

Orihime nodded and walked away, using her shield just in case. He closed his eyes as he retrieved his sword.

"Enclose, Murciélago, Segunda Etapa."

He changed into his second release form faster than usual. 'Training has achieved results after all.'

Seeing how they were in a populated area of the city, Ulquiorra charged a normal cero instead of a cero oscuras, in hopes that it would be enough to kill the Menos without causing the city any damage

"Cero."

The green light enveloped the hollow completely. Soon it was beginning to turn into dust, however, he saw that his cero was close to reaching a building.

It didn't cause any damage, as Orihime had used her shields around the whole area. He turned to look at her. She was concentrating on her task, when it was safe to remove the shields she did it with ease.

"It seems as if the training has increased your spiritual pressure. That's a commendable feat."

She blushed when he praised her. "You give me too much credit, you destroyed that thing with just a cero that's impressive."

"I'd hardly say that myself, but thank you."

He stared at the night sky, it was full of stars without a cloud in sight, and a full moon shimmering above him. A reckless thought crossed his mind. He wouldn't have done this before not in a hundred years, but now he was certain about it.

"Woman, have you ever wanted to fly?" he asked her.

Orihime smiled as if she had read his thoughts. "Yes, I'd love to."

Ulquiorra stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Hold on tightly, do not open your eyes until I tell you," he whispered in her ear.

She did as he asked, and so he took off. He waited until they were high enough. "Open your eyes."

He could tell she opened them when he heard her gasp in amusement. "This is amazing! I can see the whole city from up here!"

"Look up." He told her.

While they were not close to them at all, it looked as the stars were close enough that they could touch them. Orihime was breathless, she was silent through the majority of the flight, but when they were near their home she looked at him and smiled as brightly as he'd seen her thus far.

"Thank you, Ulquiorra."

He felt a smile of his own creeping at the corner of his lips.

***  
The last one to leave had been Kurosaki Ichigo, unsurprisingly he'd accepted his offer immediately. Ginjo waited until they were gone and locked all doors. "Riruka, is she there?"

The pink haired girl handed him a blue pendant. "Yes, I've established a connection."

"Excellent. Anna, can you hear me?"

"I can hear you perfectly. How did it go?"

"It is as you predicted. The others are skeptical, but Kurosaki agreed immediately."

"It's not surprising, the boy is desperate to protect everyone from any perceived threat. You must be careful to cultivate his trust. I reckon it'll be easy. The Soul Society has forgotten their savior all too quickly."

Ginjo scoffed. "Don't they always?"

"Yes, it's a common thing for them. Cerberus is close to completion, along with the other artifacts needed."

Ginjo nodded. "What are my tasks?"

"For now, do as you promised. Train them, make them stronger, get them to trust you. Especially Ichigo, the rest will happen on its own. I will let you know when I'm ready to strike."

"Understood."

"Be very careful Ginjo. I don't want any of you to fall, not again."

"I'll make sure everything goes as planned. This time we'll win."


	15. Christmas

©Bleach and its characters don't belong to me. they belong to Tite Kubo and Shounen Jump. Only Shizuka belongs to me.

**Chapter 15: Christmas**

The woman was in an excellent mood today. He didn't think much of it until he saw the date on the calendar. 'December 25th' So it was Christmas today. He'd heard about the celebration and it looked simple enough. However, the meaning of it seemed to vary from country to country. Western countries considered it a religious holiday, while Eastern countries celebrated it just for fun rather than tradition.

He didn't have any ties to the celebration, but he had bought small gifts for his acquaintances.

While the woman silently prayed in front of her brother's picture he calmly retreated to his room and took out her gift along with the others.

The puppy followed him to his room. Ulquiorra put his finger over his lips, Hoping the puppy would stay silent. "Here, this is for you." He put a dog toy on the floor, it was a bit of yarn rope. Kukkapuro seemed to love it, and barked in appreciation.

"You're welcome. Now let's go see Orihime." The two of them walked downstairs as she had finished her prayers.

Ulquiorra handed her a small rectangular box "Merry Christmas woman."

She looked surprised and even blushed a little. "Thank you, Ulquiorra. I'm really flattered you got me a gift." She opened the small box and smiled brightly.

Inside it, there was a silver-colored choker with a tiny chain necklace attached to it, the necklace had a teal charm in the shape of a hibiscus flower with a black number four inside.

"This is beautiful! Where did you get it?"

"I went to our usual shop and bought the choker and the chain for the necklace, the charm was costume made by Jeanne. She had apprenticed as a jeweler when she was human and volunteered to put the piece together."

She was close to crying and hugged him tightly. "Thank you so much, Ulquiorra. This is the cutest present ever! Oh, wait a second let me get your gift."

This time it was his turn to be surprised. Orihime left the room and came back with a green box and a squeaky toy. She left the toy on the floor for Kukkapuro to pick up. The puppy once again barked in gratitude and took his new toys to the couch.

"Here's your present. I hope you like it."

Ulquiorra opened the box to find a book inside. It was dark green and didn't have a title when he opened the book he was surprised by what he saw. The book was not filled with words, but rather pictures, usually of the times he and the woman were resting at home. There was one of them on their first day at the bakery, another of them dancing at the club, he was even surprised to see there was one of them in Hueco Mundo.

Among the pages there were also drawings, he assumed they were made by the woman. While the drawings weren't of professional quality they looked realistic enough that he could tell what she wanted to show. There was a drawing of him in his release form, another as a chibi with a speech bubble that read 'woman', and another one of them dressed as astronauts in a red planet with a weird creature, but his favorite was the last one he saw.

The paper had been folded in half, the upper part of it had two chibis that resembled Kanashi and Ame, and the lower half was chibis of them in their old Hueco Mundo attire.

He didn't say anything, just clutched the book close to his chest. "Words cannot express how much I adore this gift. Thank you, Orihime."

"You're welcome." She gave him a tight hug. He didn't want to let her go.

"I'm curious as to how you've taken these pictures."

She chuckled. "I took them with my phone while you were distracted then got them printed a while ago, and made the drawings. The book still has plenty of blank pages that you can fill with anything you like."

He pulled her even closer. "I promise you, we'll fill them together."

"It's a promise."

***  
The morning had been a pleasant surprise. Ulquiorra was in a wonderful mood, he even suggested watching a movie together. Kukkapuro was sleeping on the floor, having exhausted himself by playing with his new toys.

Orihime glanced at Ulquiorra every once in a while during the film.. It was cute to see him being so expressive. His eyes widening or the way he frowned whenever the annoying character appeared on the screen. 'I didn't think he'd like watching a musical. Maybe he enjoys the Phantom character.'

Near the end, she was already in tears. Ulquiorra sighed and pulled her close to him. "Woman it is only a film, there's no need to cry."

"I know." she wiped away her tears. "It just gets to me. Even after so many years he still loves her, and even left the rose and the ring." She started sobbing again.

"If it makes you feel better I'll dress up as the Phantom and sing for you."

Simplify imagining it made Orihime chuckle. "You do have a melodic voice, but you're too handsome to be a convincing Phantom."

Ulquiorra looked surprised, his cheeks turned pink. "You think I am handsome?"

"Yes I do." She had to hold back her laughter. 'I didn't think I'd ever see Ulquiorra blushing like that. He's adorable.'

Upon further introspection, Orihime realized she'd been thinking about her roommate more often. She shook the thoughts away. 'It's probably because I'm nervous.' She knew their enemy would strike at any moment. Anna didn't seem like a person who would have mercy on Ulquiorra for siding against her. 'I will protect him.'

"Woman, are you alright?"

She didn't notice she was hugging Ulquiorra a bit tighter. "Sorry! I didn't mean to squeeze you like that!" She apologized.

Kukkapuro awoke abruptly. He looked distressed and began barking loudly.

Ulquiorra immediately got down on the floor and tried to calm down the pup. Kukkapuro's shivering form and scared look told him all he needed to know.

"There's a hollow. It's a big one. We have to destroy it."

Orihime used her shields and put Kukkapuro in a healing bubble before they left. "We'll be back soon."They rushed out of the house and towards the source of spiritual pressure. They were greeted by a gigantic round hollow with small black eyes and a thin line for a mouth.

She thought the creature looked unnerving at first sight, but when it opened it's mouth it was absolutely terrifying. The hollow's lower jaw hit the floor, akin to the entrance of a cave. In a few moments, it began to suck up the spiritual pressure within the area. They both felt the pull, strangely enough, their energy was not being drained.

As the ran closer to the hollow Orihime saw both Shizuka and Chad, continuously attacking it. Seemingly then hollow's shell would crack with the attacks, but it would not fully dissolve. The cracks then began to heal in a matter of seconds.

'What to do?' she wondered. According to the lessons she'd received from the Arrancars, using both offensive and defensive strength was crucial.

'Reverse healing!' Tsubaki Ayame and Shuno's voices spoke in unison. 'Use your power to reverse the healing cracks, that'll give your friends time to attack.'

"Soten Kisshun, I reject!" When she gave the order her Rikka rushed towards the hollow, using an orange glow rather than a golden one.

Chad and Shizuka were startled but relieved when they saw the duo coming to their aid.

"Ulquiorra, can you fire a Cero?"

"Yes." He charged and fired at the hollow, his cracks had been exposed and the attacks from Chad, Shizuka and Ulquiorra were having the desired effect.

She hadn't expected it but the weakened hollow opened his gigantic mouth again, and from it a shower of dark blades came out, cutting everything in sight.

"Santen Kesshun!" Orihime's shield covered them all, but not fast enough. Everyone in the group had received a cut from the blades. Orihime had one on her cheek, while Chad and Shizuka had been cut on their legs, Orihime gasped when she saw Ulquiorra had taken the worst of it. With a large cut on his arm and on his face.

She felt so enraged, still, in the midst of her anger, a plan began forming. "Shizuka-San, can you release a huge blast of water over the hollow before he releases more blades?"

Shizuka grinned. "Yes, I have just the solution, but I am afraid it could damage the buildings."

"Leave that to me!" She raised shields over all the nearby buildings and roads, the city looked as if it was made of gold by the protection. "Sado-Kun, while Shizuka-San attacks from above I need you to attack from the ground!"

Chad gave a thumbs up, instead of using his right arm, he used his left arm, which was coated in white and red like a hollow limb. 'That must be a new power.'

"Ulquiorra, could you lend me your strength?" Orihime asked him in a softer voice. She could've sworn he chuckled as he took her hand. "Always."

"Everyone, attack now!" She roared as she poured all of her power into her shields and reverse healing.

From the sky she could see Shizuka holding her sword high, the words she read on her friend's lips were unexpected.

"Bankai! Joonome no Kozui!"

Shizuka's sword was transparent, and from it a waterfall of water fell down on the hollow, it was so potent and harsh that Orihime could hear the sound of the running water down on her shield. Chad muttered an unknown attack. She read the words 'La Muerte' on his lips. These two blast along with the damage already inflicted on it were enough to defeat the hollow.

'It worked!' Orihime thought before suddenly falling unconscious.

***  
She had not seen him staring at her in awe when she used her gorgeous voice to command like a military leader or how he smiled when she asked for him to use their bond, but perhaps she'd seen the fear across his face when she collapsed in his arms after the hollow had faded.

"Woman!" He checked her pulse, which was stable. Her pins glowed and six bug-like creatures appeared before him.

"She's fine. Just tired." One of them spoke, a female with cute black hair and a pink kimono.

Another two brushed the hair from her eyes. a male with blonde hair and red attire, along with a female of pink hair and a blue dress.

"At least that's taken care of. Do not worry Ulquiorra-San. Orihime will recuperate in a few minutes." A chubby male with green clothing tried to reassure him.

"Wait! I think it's better everyone heads home. Now!" A balded purple spirit yelled. "There was poison in those blades!"

"Poison?!" Shizuka shrieked when she came close to them. As if on cue he saw Sado collapse and fall unconscious too. "Chad!" Shizuka held him up, slowly sitting down on the floor and placing his head on her lap.

"How much time do we have?!" He asked the purple fairy.

"None." A male with a scar and black clothes responded. "It's already in you."

The fairies tried to heal them, but both Ulquiorra and Shizuka began slipping away too.

"Don't die." He heard Shizuka, whisper to him, before closing her eyes.

"I don't plan to." He wanted to answer, but his lips felt heavy, just as his eyes...

***

There was light in the room. Too much light. His eyes fluttered open and he was greeted by Orihime's teary gaze.

"Woman?"

She didn't say anything and just held onto him. "I'm so glad you're safe." Her tight grip and sobbing made him feel so comforted. He knew she cared about him, but never in a thousand years he'd thought she'd cry for him like he'd seen her cry for Ichigo.

"It's fine woman. I am fine. Where are we?"

"We're in the Ishida hospital. Kannonji's team brought us here."

"I see." He wiped the tears from her silver eyes as gently as possible. "You were amazing back there. The way you commanded everyone, the speed in which you planned. Not even Lord Aizen could be so clever."

Her luminous smile returned. "You give too much praise. I'm just happy we're all fine."

The door to the room slammed open, revealing the woman's group of friends. Tatsuki immediately went up to hug her, Chizuru just wept into an uncomfortable Ishida while Sado and Shizuka smiled at him.

"It's good to see ya up Batsy. Feel ok?"

"I feel better. Are you two alright?"

"Peachy!" Shizuka smiled and Chad nodded.

"Is everyone alright?!" Another person burst through the door. It was Kurosaki.

He didn't know if it was because of their recent disagreeable events or because his worry towards the woman made him jealous, but Ulquiorra turned around and decided not to even glance at the former shinigami.

***  
"We're all fine." She sounded rigid but did not care.

"Everyone is fine Kurosaki, the poison from the hollow has been extracted and they should all recover soon," Ishida answered. "Maybe it's best we all go back home."

"Like hell! Care to tell me what you were all doing fighting a hollow of that magnitude?! The pull of pressure was felt even on the other side of the town! You could have let the others take care of it!"

"Kurosaki!" Shizuka yelled "Before you throw a fit, I'll remind you that taking care of the town's hollows is no longer your duty. It's mine. Secondly, Chad, Ulquiorra, and Orihime were providing me with assistance with their power, had it not been for them I wouldn't have been able to defeat the hollow. Thirdly, the other shinigami are on leave for today. Most of them had family to visit back at the Soul Society."

"You think that makes this ok?! You're supposed to be the only one dealing with hollows, you should have asked Urahara or Yoruichi for help! If you can't kill the hollows alone then you shouldn't have asked to be the shinigami for this town!"

That did it. Orihime would have done something if Ishida and Chizuru hadn't gotten in front of her. Ulquiorra had almost stood up from the bed in on motion, but what left her in awe was that Chad placed Shizuka behind him and was currently staring Ichigo down.

"Ichigo, this behavior cannot go on. I can understand you're angry and frustrated at the fact that your power is gone, but acting this paranoid towards us won't help. We are not as strong as you were, but we can find for ourselves. Frankly, I find it insulting you are treating us like children. I offered to help Shizuka, just as Orihime and Ulquiorra did. We know the risks, and we do it anyway. The hollow was an artificial one, which is why she required assistance. And you should know Shizuka-San has mastered Bankai and used it in this battle to keep us safe. Don't act as if she's beneath what you once were."

The atmosphere felt heavy with silence. Ichigo muttered an 'I'm sorry' and walked away from the room. Tatsuki and Ishida went after him.

Chizuru sat in Orihime's bed. "Well that wasn't expected. At least you're all doing well."

"Thanks for your concern Chizuru-Chan. We can meet tomorrow if you like but right now I'm sure your family is waiting."

Chizuru nodded and gave Orihime a goodbye hug. She waved goodbye to the rest of the group as she exited the room.

"I don't know how we're ever gonna deal with Anna if we're all fighting." Orihime went to hug Shizuka. "Sorry about that."

"It's alright. He's not wrong. I might be able to take care of the small fry, but when it comes to Anna's little creations I've always needed help. I'm so sorry for not be able to keep you guys safe."

"What are you talking about? We're always happy to help you! That's what friends are for." She wiped away Shizuka's tears and smiled.

Uryu came back with a clipboard. "I've checked the results. You guys are free to go, the poison has been fully cleared from your body."

"Those are great news. We'll be out soon. Are you going to join us Ishida-Kun? "

"I'd love to Shizuka-San, but I'm going to spend the turn here with Ryuuken. I'll see you all tomorrow."

Orihime found it sweet to see Uryuu spending Christmas with his dad, even if it was at work. When she thought about it, the only ones without any living relatives were her, Ulquiorra and Chad. 'That's probably why Shizuka-San wants us to join her today.'

"Well then let's get going," Orihime said cheerfully.

***  
"You are really committed to this idea." Ulquiorra muttered. He was sitting in Shizuka-San's kitchen table as they waited for the cookies to bake.

Shizuka laughed as Ulquiorra stared blankly at the gift she gave him. It was really chubby bat plushie with the word 'Batsy' stitched into his tummy.

"There's a zipper in the back, inside the plushies there's a gift card." She told him in between giggles. "I just saw it and thought of you. I got Chad and Inoue gift card plushies too."

"It's a thoughtful gift. Thank you. I shall keep 'Batsy' safe in my room." Ulquiorra picked up a box from the table and handed it to Shizuka. "Here is my gift to you."

Shizuka opened the box to find a beautiful CD player and various disks. "These are all my favorites! How'd you know?"

"Given your work as DJ at the club and your love for dancing I took a gamble and got the CD's that matched your tastes."

"Thank you so much, Ulquiorra. We are all very flattered you paid such close attention."

He had noticed a similar reaction from Sado, he had gifted the silent man with a veterinarian encyclopedia. He was very happy, especially since Ulquiorra really liked his gift too, a black tie clothing set.

"It's amusing. We have not known each other for long, but it does not feel that way."

"That's what happens when you form bonds with good friends. Time does not matter, only the sincerity of your actions, and the love you have for said friends."

Love. That word was plaguing his mind lately. Ever since the night he saw the remnants of his past life everything had been confusing. The lingering sensation of happiness, sadness, and affection were still there. Along with them had come fear.

"Shizuka. I need your advice desperately. In regards to the woman."

She smiled, not in a mocking way but rather understanding. "Go on. I'm listening."

"When you first asked me if I had feelings for the woman, I denied it. Now, I am not so sure. So many events and discoveries have taken place. It has changed my perspective in many ways, still, a part of me clings to nihility." He sighed. "Nihility was having nothing and therefore losing nothing. Now I have her, and if I lose her..."

He couldn't bring himself to finish. Too many horrifying possibilities crossed his mind. Would he go feral and destroy everything in his path? Would emptiness overtake him again, or would he follow Orihime into death as he once had? The endless possibilities made his head feel heavy.

"I do not know what to do Shizuka. After all I've put her through, it feels like my newfound emotions would only cause her further pain. After the mess that happened with Kurosaki, I don't want her to feel that way again."

Shizuka took his hand. "I may not be the best person to advise you when it comes to love. As you can see I'm also quiet about my feelings, but that's because I'm forced to keep them hidden. You, on the other hand, live with Orihime-Chan, have been there through her first heartbreak and supported her decisions without objection, you understand each other perfectly. Perhaps she's slowly healing now, but when she's ready to love again, I say you have a great chance of being the man she chooses."

"Thank you, Shizuka. You words have eased my burden."

"No problem basty." she winked.

"If you don't mind me asking. Would you consider confessing your feelings to Sado if your arranged engagement wasn't an obstacle?"

"I would. Unfortunately, my reality is not as ideal. It feels as if I'm delaying the inevitable."

He didn't say anything out loud. His mind was already forming up a plan. Risky and perhaps cruel, it didn't matter to him really, those were the only plans he'd ever been exposed to.  
'I shall make sure, that wedding does not take place.' He wouldn't let things end like they did the first time.

***  
"Have you given any thought about what to do with the fullbringers?"

She was waiting for Chad to ask her that. Orihime put down the dress he gifted her back in it's bag. "Honestly, I want to accept the offer. Still, I don't trust them."

"We're in agreement then. While we're also doubtful, Ichigo and I have both accepted the offer already. Should you say yes, we'll begin training immediately."

'So Ichigo said yes.' It was obvious he'd accept. Ichigo thought he needed to protect everyone, but that no one could protect him. A chance to get his power back was enough for him to accept. 'Maybe being forced to stay on the sidelines took its toll. At least now he knows what it's like.'

"He didn't mean what happened today. I don't excuse it, but I understand it." Chad seemingly read her mind. "Being powerless has been driving him near madness. I'll talk to him soon. I'm sure Shizuka forgives him, still, I can tell he cut deep."

She nodded. "I really care about Shizuka-San. She reminds me of myself when I was alone." The dark days without Sora, Tatsuki or the other were days she wanted to forget. Shizuka had her shinigami friends, but back home her freedoms were probably restricted, and loneliness had been visible in her eyes on their first meeting.

"I know what you mean, I feel that way too. At least, for now, we can make sure she's not alone."

Orihime smiled. "We'll be her family, for as long as she may want."

As if on cue Shizuka and Ulquiorra entered the living room, carrying trays of cookies in each hand. " The cookies are ready! I made extra for the little guys!"

Shizuka put a plate on the floor for Kukkapuro. The pup barked and began munching away at the treats. She put a few trays on the coffee table, presumably for the rest of them. The last tray she left on the couch. Orihime felt her Rikka materialize and head for the cookie tray.

"Thank you!" Ayame said in their behalf. It was cute to see her Shinigami friend reward the tiny Rikka. Orihime knew how exhausted they were and every once in a while she had also fed them sweet food to keep them happy.

"You're welcome!" Shizuka told the tiny fairies, before sitting on the sofa beside Chad. Ulquiorra sat beside Orihime, she noticed he was clutching his gift. 'So that's what Shizuka meant by 'giving batsy a tiny version of himself.' it made her chuckle.

"By the way, I don't think I thanked you before Orihime-Chan. Your fast planning was the reason we won against that thing. Thanks, dearie."

Orihime blushed at the compliment. "You're welcome Shizuka-San, though I don't feel like I did all that much."

"You must be joking. Had it not been for you we wouldn't have been able to damage that hollow. You were impressive."

Chad and Shizuka's praise made her blush. She didn't need to see Ulquiorra's expression to tell he was silently praising her too. "Thank you, everyone."

The T.V's noise along with the cracking of the fire buzzed in her ears. The sugary cookies and falling snow completed the painting, this truly had been a near perfect Christmas.

'The gifts and food have been great, still, the greatest gift has been having you all believe in me.'


	16. Everything's Blurry

**Chapter 16: Everything's Blurry**

Having to go back just to pick up the squad assigned to the Karakura mission had been one thing, having to see her brother was something else entirely.

Asami was sitting in front of Shizuka like a male mirror of her. 'I shouldn't be nervous...' she repeated in her head but it wasn't enough. Her hands gripped the fabric of her kimono trying to keep calm.

"Before you go back to your assigned duties, I wanted to show you some of the details for the wedding." He passed her a stack of papers.

Shizuka didn't say anything, her grey eyes remained indifferent as she went through the papers. There were pictures and lists of wedding kimonos, food, and decorations. To her, all of it was bleak and lifeless. She could not care less about the whole ordeal. 'Is this how Anna felt? No wonder she tried to get out...'

She picked everything at random and passed her brother the papers. "Here you go. Is that all?"

"Yes. You may leave. I shall see you when you the mission is over."

She didn't say anything as she left, the others were waiting for her outside. Except for Kira and Rose.

"Where are the Squad 3 members?"

"Fixing up the mess on their Squad. Leaving 3rd seat Riku in charge was not their best move." Momo answered.

Shizuka chuckled. "You can bet Asuka and Taketsuna have to take credit for that mess too." Shizuka sighed. She missed her division greatly but knew what awaited once she came back permanently.

"There's one thing I don't get. Nobody seems to be acting like we're in a state of emergency. You'd think the third seat or the other officials would have been more on edge."

"Rangiku is right. The division seemed awfully calm yesterday. Is this a new protocol?"

"No. Asami told me that the only ones who know about the emergency are us, the central 46 and the Head Captain. The rest of the Soul Society remains in the dark."

Gin opened his eyes looking visibly disturbed. "That can't be good, them being so secretive is what Aizen exploited to betray them the first time."

"I know, you'd think that after dealing with that they'd be more open. Sadly, that's not the case. I'm not too keen on keeping this secret either. I'm just hoping nothing bad because of this."

Finally Rose and Kira arrived. The pair looked exhausted. Shizuka walked towards them. "Messy division?"

"You have no idea sweetie." Rose shook his head. "I have the sight of that office engraved in my mind."

"We can talk about that later. Let's get to Karakura as soon as possible." Hitsugaya commanded.

Before she stepped through Senkaimon, Shizuka glanced at the Sereitei one last time, given that a small part of her wished it would be the last time she saw it.

***  
"That's it! Try to hold it together for a while longer!" Riruka yelled as Orihime held up her shield.

After two hours of blocking her arms were getting heavy, but she was glad her Santen Kesshun was working so well against Shizuka's kido attacks.

"Ok, this is a heavy one, so get ready Orihime-Chan!"

"I'm ready! Come at me Shizuka-San!"

"Hado #54, Haien!"

A pillar of flame was shot from Shizuka's pale hands. Orihime reinforced her shields as she could see the fire hit the shield and spread, none of it touched her.

"Good. From what Ginjo has told me the Hado become more lethal from number 60 onwards. So take a break we'll see if the shields handle the worst." Riruka ordered. She looked at Orihime and sighed. "You should sleep, you look tired. There's a cushioned sofa over there."

She pointed towards the other side of the empty pink room. Orihime nodded. "I'll just sleep for a few minutes."

Orihime walked away towards the fluffy fuschia couch and laid down. She still had her doubts about training with the fullbringers, but so far things were going well. With those thoughts she drifted away to sleep.

***  
"I'm glad she's getting some rest. We did stay up for a while yesterday." Shizuka smiled as she looked at her friend's sleeping face.

"She's doing well for someone who mastered fullbring so late." Riruka murmured.

"Late?"

"Fullbring can be squared through a variety of methods. Some fullbringers are born with it, given that their pregnant mother survive a hollow attack. The hollow's remaining power it's absorbed by the fetus and they develop fullbring.

Another method can include being near a place with spirit power, and that power manifests onto a beloved object of the fullbringer."

"That sounds very interesting. I'm surprised we were never told about fullbringers back at the Soul Reaper academy." Shizuka

Riruka also looked somewhat sad, her arms were crossed around her chest and she was seemingly staring at nothing. "Fullbring is more akin to a hollow ability than a soul reaper ability. Perhaps that's why they keep quiet. It's not like there's many of us left now."

Before she could ask the small girl what she meant by 'now' Riruka unfolded her arms and began walking away. "We've done enough for today. I'm going upstairs when Orihime wakes up you two can come up and drink."

"Okay. Thanks for everything Riruka-San."

With a nod, she walked upstairs and left her alone in there room with Orihime. 'Just what the hell is wrong with Soul Society? Keeping everything secret until it comes back to bite them in the butt.'

Shizuka sat down beside the sofa. Orihime was still sleeping, so Shizuka began typing away on her phone, every single detail about the mission along with the new information she'd acquired. After reading everything multiple times she formed a theory in her head. 'This better not be true.'

***  
"I am impressed Sado. You have a great control over your fullbring. I'm sure there's not much I can teach you, but I'll do my best to make sure you grow stronger."

"Thank you." Chad smiled at his teacher.

Jackie Tristan was a tall woman with dark skin, short black hair and a commanding presence. Still, she'd been friendly enough during their training session.

"No problem. I think the others are finished too. Whenever you want to train again just use the card key."

"Ok"

The pair stepped out of the training room and into the club. Everything was empty save for the bar. Riruka was there speaking with Ulquiorra and the bartender, Giriko, who was also a fullbringer.

"How'd it go?" Riruka asked them.

"Sado has great potential. He'll be in full shape in no time." Jackie gave him a pat on the back, and Chad smiled.

"Good." Riruka sipped her tea. "Then that just leaves Ginjo and the hottie."

Chad chuckled at that. It looked like his best friend was getting popular with the ladies.

As if on cue Ichigo and Ginjo stepped into the bar. Both of them seemed tired but happy. Apparently, training had gone well.

"Now that we are all here I'll go fetch the others." Ulquiorra headed toward the girls training room.

"Shizuka is here right? I need to apologize to her after what happened yesterday." Ichigo asked

"Yeah, she got here a little late, had to pick up the others from Soul Society. Don't worry I'm sure she didn't even mind. Let's just go see them."

***  
Orihime knew it was a dream, that this wasn't happening again. That would be impossible, still, it felt real.

Everything looked just like the day the fight at the canopy took place. Ishida was wounded, Ichigo was in his hollow form dueling with Ulquiorra. The Espada was in his second release form, but it wasn't enough to beat Ichigo.

She knew how everything was going to play out, but it still didn't stop her from crying when she saw Ulquiorra turn to ash. Like the last time he reached to her, asking her if she was afraid.

"No, I'm not afraid."

His fingers turned to ash as she touched them. Just like before she tried to heal him, but it didn't work. Ulquiorra turned to ash in front of her.

Orihime awoke with a gasp of his name. Beside her, Shizuka was startled.

"Sweetie are you okay? You're burning up." Shizuka placed a hand on her forehead. "Was it another nightmare?"

Orihime held back her tears as she hugged her friend. "It wasn't a nightmare. I just... I saw him die. Again."

Shizuka didn't say anything, she hugged Orihime for as long as necessary. A noise came from the door making both girls turn around.

"Orihime! Shizuka! It's time to go!" Chad's voice echoed in the room. Ichigo and Ulquiorra were behind him. The trio rushed downstairs when they noticed the state of their friends.

"What happened? Are you two ok?"

"Orihime-Chan had a nightmare. She's a little shaken."

Orihime softly let go of Shziuka the moment she realized Ulquiorra was in the room. She tackled him so harshly they both almost fell.

"Woman, what's wrong?"

"The nightmare...you turned to ash...I couldn't..." Her voice was coming out cracked. It was childish of her to lament on things that didn't happen, especially when he was standing in front of her right now. Still, she couldn't help but cry at the mere thought of losing him forever.

"You do not need to worry. I am here, and I do not plan on perishing anytime soon." Ulquiorra picked her up, which surprised her. "Let's go home. I'm sure Kukkapuro's cuddles will cheer you up. Everyone have a safe trip home."

She should have said something, but simply decided to let him carry her. Knowing that they were both safe with each other.

***  
"I swear those two don't even know how they look to us. One of these days it's gonna smack them in the face." Shizuka chuckled.

Chad smiled. He knew what she meant. Ulquiorra and Orihime were oblivious in a cute way. 'They'll realize it soon enough.'

"Shizuka, I wanted to apologize for what happened yesterday. I shouldn't have said those things."

"Don't worry about it Ichigo, I know you were just worried."

"That's no excuse. You've been a good friend to use since day one and it was cruel of me to say that."

Shizuka put a hand on Ichigo's shoulder. "Hey, no worries. I wouldn't even be able to stay mad at you carrot top."

Chad was glad the two had cleared the misunderstanding. At least that was one last thing to worry about.

"I didn't know Ulquiorra and Inoue had grown so close. Makes me feel bad for what happened in Hueco Mundo."

"I'm sure she knows you weren't the one fighting to kill. It was the hollow that took over, and for all it's worth Ulquiorra did survive it." Chad tried to cheer Ichigo up. It was bad enough that he was feeling powerless, but digging up the incidents of the previous war would not help either.

Shizuka's phone began ringing. She checked it and her eyes went wide. "We need to go see Ishida-Kun. Immediately."

The group said goodbye to the Fullbringers and head towards the edge of Karakura's River. Ishida was waiting for them.

"Glad you all got here soon. I was doing my Quincy training and ended up falling into the river." Chad noticed Ichigo chuckled. Shizuka hit the back of his head to shut him up.  
'Shinigami women always have to keep him in check.'

"As I was saying. This was at the bottom of the river." He handed Shziuka a sword.

"It's a zanpakuto..." The sword was broken and looked very old. "The person who owned it must be dead by now."

"Shouldn't the Soul Society know that?" Ichigo asked.

"They should, but then why would they neglect to recover the owner's zanpakuto? It doesn't make sense. This is considered very offensive..." Shizuka groaned. "Today's been too damn crazy. Too many secrets are floating around and I just about had it!"

"Try to calm down Shizuka. We won't solve anything like this."

"You're right Chad. I say it's time for another field trip!"

"Field trip?" They asked her in unison.

"Yas! A field trip, I know exactly what to do!" She squealed as she raised Chad's arm. "Gentleman! Tonight we'll need back up!"

Chad a feeling that whatever the small shinigami was planning, it would involve all of them.

***  
Ulquiorra was pleased to see Orihime had calmed down quickly. Kukkapuro had taken action swiftly and decided to keep snuggling with her on the sofa.

He was still in awe that this nightmare had affected her so much. While she knew Orihime valued him, he did not expect her to grieve him that harshly had he actually died. 'I expected her to move on from it, to continue to pursue Kurosaki, but the broken gaze she had when she saw me.' He tried to not get his hopes on. Regardless of her current situation with Ichigo, he knew Orihime wasn't in love with him. Imagining things like that would only bring him negative emotions.

"Ulquiorra! Could you come here for a second?"

He left the kitchen and headed towards the living room. The woman was sitting on the couch with Kukkapuro, holding a book in her hands.

"What is it?"

"Remember how you asked me about the heart, Back when we were in Hueco Mundo?"

"Yes, I do remember."

"Well, I was cleaning the bookshelf and found my old cardiology textbooks. They speak of the heart in the more literal sense rather than emotional, but I thought you might still want to look at it with me."

"I'd be glad to."

The book was scientific. Showing pictures of the heart and its function on living beings. They were things he was familiar with, but not as engaging as when the woman was the one explaining it to him.

"I see. While emotions come from the brain, humans tend to say they come from the heart as if to empathize them better?"

"Yes. People associate the brain more with logical thought and the heart with more irrational and emotional needs. Even if in theory both things stem from the brain. I guess it's just us trying to be poetic. When I told you my heart was connected with that of my friends I meant that we all felt the same way and carried the same goal. That's why we were so close."

"That's fascinating. Although I have another question. Why do you draw the heart so different from it's original form?"

Orihime giggled. "It's easier to make it like this than the one shown in the book."

"Fair enough."

He was so glad to have spent some time with Orihime, especially since he enjoyed learning from her. 'She would make an excellent teacher.'

His phone began vibrating on the coffee table. He picked it up and saw a message from Shizuka.

'Calling an emergency meeting. I sent the directions. Bring Orihime Chan and the puppy.

P.s. Bring swimwear

It was an odd message, to say the least. Orihime had peeked over his shoulder and laughed. "I know those directions. It's a beach near the edge of town."

'That's why she asked for swimming clothes.' Ulquiorra put away his phone. "Then we must get ready then. I can guarantee Shizuka must be having another crazy scheme planned."

"That's true. I'll pack the clothes. Be right back!"

She headed upstairs with a smile on her face. Seeing her so happy was the highlight of his day.

Kukkapuro barked knowingly as if he could tell what Ulquiorra was thinking.

"I shall not deny it any longer. I have feelings for the woman."

The puppy seemed pleased with this development. He jumped on the couch and settled in Ulquiorra's lap.

"Perhaps I do not have a physical heart, but she's entrusted me with one of feelings. Ever since the moment she saved me."

The picture book she had given him yesterday was sitting at the top of the table. Ulquiorra picked it up and flipped through the pages. The drawings of the days when they were enemies, and the pictures of their blooming friendship were enough to make him smile. With a red marker, he began drawing a heart on the most recent blank page.

'I want to treasure every moment with her.'

"I'm done! I packed our swimwear, towels, and some sand castle toys. It's nighttime already so I think we can do without sunblock. Think it's ok?"

"It's perfect." He picked up the bag she had packed. "I'll carry this for you. Shall we go?"

Orihime was blushing, but she soon smiled and nodded. "I'll lead the way."

Once she had Kukkapuro in her arms they headed out the door. Walking together under the stars.


	17. The Halcyon Squad

**Chapter 17: The Halcyon Squad**

She should have guessed that what Shizuka was planning would involve partying.

Tatsuki, Ichigo, Ishida, Chad and all of the shinigami and vizard were there. What surprised her, however, was that she saw all of the arrancar on the beach too.

"Hey, you three! Glad you got here early."

"Hi, Shizuka-San! How'd you get everyone here?"

"Easy! Just reported it was a training exercise. You know Anna's shikai can bend the laws of science to her will, who's to say she won't use water against all of us?"

"Clever as always I see." Ulquiorra mentioned. "Good luck keeping all of them in check."

"Now that you mention it, when they got here the tall one and Gin started fighting. Halibel had to tell em' off."

"Typical." Both Ulquiorra and Orihime answered in unison.

"I need to go discuss something with my captain but you can go hang with the others if you like. By the way Ulquiorra, Hitsugaya and Hinamori are looking for you."

"I'll go talk to them."

Once Ulquiorra left Shizuka turned towards Orihime. "I'll go see you guys once I'm done talking to Captain Otoribashi."

"Ok. See you later Shizuka-San!"

***  
"Captain Hitsugaya, Lieutenant Hinamori, I was told you two wished to speak with me?"

"Yes Schiffer-San, please sit down." Hinamori smiled as he sat beside her and Hitsugaya.

"Shizuka told us this morning that you might've been feeling a little uncertain about how to deal with your emotions towards Inoue-San."

'So that was it.' When Shizuka mentioned the two young shinigami wished to speak with him he was confused. He should have guessed they would want to discuss their friend.

"Yes. For some time now I've had been coming to terms with my feelings for the woman. I am now fully aware that I do have romantic attraction towards her. However, the things that have happened between us, seem too difficult to fix. Even if she herself has forgiven me."

Hitsugaya nodded. "It's similar to what happened to us."

Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow. "You two are on the same side, why would you go through conflict?"

Momo chuckled. "Oh, that's not exactly true. You see back in the summer before Aizen had betrayed the Soul Society I was his lieutenant. My admiration for him was quite great and when he faked his death I fell into a horrible depression. Aizen left 'clues' to his supposed murderer, they ended up leading to Shiro-Chan. Back then I didn't think it was a ruse, so I attacked Shiro-Chan." Her voice cut off. It was clear that this event had left an impact on the young lieutenant.

"Momo already apologized and I told her that I forgave her, but she still feels guilty. And I understand her because I hurt her once too."

"What happened?"

"After Aizen left Las Noches he was about to launch his attack on Karakura, we switched it out for a replica hoping to defeat him there and protect the city. In the midst of battle, he used his Kyoga Suigetsu on all of us. Instead of attacking him...We all attacked Momo."

He wouldn't put it past his old superior to toy with the shinigami in that way. Still, the revelation felt brutal. That every single person would mercilessly attack Aizen, then realized the person they were hurting was one of their own.

"I was out for about three weeks. When I woke up all Shiro-Chan could do was apologize. Despite me forgiving him immediately."

Hitsugaya chuckled. "Even now I feel like she's being too kind. What we both want to tell you is that given the challenges both Soul Reapers and Arrancars face, sometimes we will do things that can hurt the people we love. We'll spend so much time agonizing over it, even if they forgive us. So our advice to you is that no matter how guilty you feel what matters is that Inoue-San is already over it and that she values you greatly regardless of what happened."

He thought about the shinigami's words for a moment, the sound of the nearby waves helped ease his mind. "I had not considered that. Thank you for sharing your experiences with me. It must've been hard to talk about this."

"Actually I feel a little better knowing that such a horrible experience can at least help with something," Toshiro mentioned.

Momo nodded. "I may not be as close to Orihime-San as Rangiku, but she seems like a very sweet girl. You two would make a cute couple."

He couldn't help but feel flattered by that thought. 'Even if we were a couple in our past life, imagining it now feels better.'

"Let's join the others, I don't think letting Ichimaru loose was a good idea." Hitsugaya stood up, prepared to run if necessary.

"I agree. Especially since the arrancar aren't much better." Ulquiorra followed suit.

"It seems we're not that different," Momo said.

Ulquiorra stared at the small groups in the distance. Some of them were building sculptures in the sand, others were cooking and others were swimming. They didn't look any different from each other to an outsider it would be impossible to tell who was a Shinigami, who was a Quincy, Human, Vizard or an Arrancar.

'Perhaps Lord Aizen was right, boundaries between species should be crossed to achieve perfection.'

He helped the young girl stand up.

"No, we're not different at all."

***  
"I'm afraid the only thing I recognize from this sword is the Ukitake family crest on the hilt. Perhaps it'd be better if we discussed this with Jyuushiro-San once we get back to Soul Society." Rose said apologetically. "We still haven't caught up with the Soul Society events of the last century."

"That's okay Captain, I appreciate your help. How are the others holding up?"

The pair glanced at the table near the grill. The Vizards we're there talking as they waited for the food. Shizuka was surprised to see them talking to an Arrancar couple. 'They are similar after all.'

"Everything has been tense since we went back to the Soul Society. Hiyori and Shinji got into this huge fight and she basically admitted she would never go back to the Soul Society. Upon arrival, everything seemed good, but it's been taking its toll. Working with people that didn't try to do anything when Kisuke was accused, or when we were going to be killed..." Rose stopped himself before saying anything else. "I'm sorry I'm probably talking your ear off Shizuka-San."

She didn't say anything just hugged her captain close. "This probably doesn't change things, but if I had known back then, I would have tried to stop it. Even as a child I would have kicked down the Central's doors and roared until they dragged me out. I'm sorry I was not able to do so."

The blonde man chuckled. "I appreciate it, darling. You know, while I may never forgive Aizen for what he did to us, I'll give him credit for showing how horrible our Society can truly be."

She understood. It was probably the only thing they could all agree on.

The smell of smoke made them pull away. "The kebabs!" The pair laughed as they put out the grill.

***  
She would have headed for the water immediately, had she not seen Loly sitting by herself on the pier. Orihime walked towards the Arrancar girl who was absentmindedly petting Kukkapuro.

"Loly?"

Her voice startled her, Loly blinked a few times as if to check if Orihime was really there.

"Hi." Her voice was shy, just like a child's.

"Mind if I sit with you?"

Lily nodded and carefully placed Kukkapuro on her lap to make space.

"How have you been doing?"

Loly sighed. "Not so well." She lifted her bangs to reveal a large scar from the bridge of her nose to the end of her forehead. "It's been bothering me for a while."

"May I try to heal it?"

Once again Loly nodded. Orihime placed her hand over her scar and used her Rikka to heal it. Her hand glowed for a moment and then the glow stopped. When she pulled away she was surprised to see that traces of the scar remained.

"Does it feel better?"

"It...doesn't hurt like before. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"...Why do you do it?"

"Hmm?"

"Take care of us. Of me, after everything that happened..."

She wasn't sure if it was the scent of salt or the younger girl's words, but Orihime felt her eyes water.

"Sometimes I'm not sure myself. I think it's because I knew that you all followed Aizen out of need. Refusing that man would probably just lead to death, so I didn't want you to die because of him. Maybe it was selfish of me to assume you would want this, he was your leader and I can tell you respected him a lot. Besides I'm not an Arrancar or understand your instincts all that well."

Loly chuckled. "You're still too nice for me to understand you." She stared at the distance, trying to remember. "Aizen found us after we ended up at Hueco Mundo. Menoly and I didn't remember anything, we were going to be devoured by a Vasto Lorde, but he saved us.

Since then we swore him fealty, yet as his army grew we knew our place would diminish. The others may be calmer now, but back then the Espada were federal beasts, more so to lower ranks like Menoly and me.

We were already paranoid because of them, then you arrived, a human girl, and just by the way Lord Aizen acted we knew you were also powerful, but calm. I couldn't resist the urge to try and be more powerful than somebody. Just once. Still, you didn't even fight me, as if you knew just how stupid I was acting. Hell, even Menoly thought I was being an idiot. Then you healed us! After we literally left you black and blue you showed us mercy. I don't know how you did it."

"No matter the reason, I can't stand to see others suffer. You might've been despicable, but I couldn't leave you both for dead in that cell."

"I still didn't learn and forced Menoly into helping me attack you again, with the same result. Had it not been for your quincy friend Yammy would have killed me. All because I wanted to wound a nice human girl. I'm sorry, about all I did. You were already dealing with enough to have us bully you."

"I accept your apology. I understand it was merely a psychological reaction, and in any case perhaps I shouldn't have gone out of my way to act so human. That probably pissed you off further."

Loly laughed. "It did! You were just so nice! Not even Anna was ever that nice. Hollows solve everything through violence, and your sudden sweetness left us all in shock... Thanks for everything, even if we don't deserve it."

Orihime hugged the young girl. "You're all worth it. Every single one of you, regardless of deeds, age, or rank. I would do it a thousand times if necessary."

This time Loly was the one crying. Orihime let her finish. "Can we start over?"

"Sure." She tucked her hair behind her ears. "I'm Orihime Inoue, Nice to meet you!" Orihime held out her hand and Loly took it.

"I'm Loly Avirrne. It's nice to meet you too."

Kukkapuro suddenly awoke and jumped from the pier into the water.

"I think it's time we join the others."

"... It's just- I don't know how to swim." Loly seemed embarrassed. It wasn't too hard to guess some of the Arrancar might have trouble swimming.

"That's okay. I can teach you, or I can carry you. My brother used to do that before I learned. What do you say?"

Loly nodded, still holding onto Orihime's hand when they jumped off the pier and headed toward the group. Having the girl clinging to her arm felt as if she was a cute little sister. 'Now I know what Sora felt when I did that.'

The others all smiled at their arrival. From what she could see Emilou was sitting on Jeanne's shoulders 'fighting' with Rangiku who sat on Gin's shoulders.

'That's one way to do a couples brawl.'

Halibel was with Mila, they were talking to Chad, Kira, Ulquiorra, and Shizuka.

"I see you've managed to talk to Orihime like you wanted."

Loly nodded, blushing a little. Orihime just hugged her. "We did. Now we're buddies too!"

She noticed the Arrancar girl was a little confused by the sudden affection but welcomed it all the same.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Ulquiorra was seemingly surprised by this development, but also pleased.

"Say, where are the others? I thought we would all be swimming for a while?" Orihime asked.

"They want first pick at the food. Menoly rushed there with the Squad 10 Captain and his girlfriend. Nnoitra and Gantenbine are diving."

"That's canceled now."

A voice startled all of them. Nnoitra and Gantenbine were probably diving deeper into the sea. They were both covered with seaweed and Gantenbine's hair was no longer up in an afro.

"One of these days you'll kill us all." Halibel helped get the seaweed off them. "Did you find anything?"

"Just seashells and a water spider." Nnoitra handed a bag to Halibel who opened it and rolled her eyes. "This is not a spider. It's a crab." She took out a small crab and let it swim away.

"Whatever it was it pinched like hell. Where's Tesla?"

"Your fraccion can't assist you. He's with Cyan." Halibel answered.

"Ugh, I don't want to babysit any kids from those two."

"Nnoitra nobody would trust with a child. Not even me!" Gin laughed. It was short lived however as both he and Matsumoto fell down in the water.

"Victory at last!" Emiliou said as she jumped off Jeanne's shoulders. "I think this battle was preferable to our last one."

"Agreed." Rangiku said as she came out of the water. "You three were fierce opponents, but I prefer having you as allies."

'We all do.' It was almost surreal to see her friends getting along so well.

"I would say the same thing, Yasutora did prove to be a fierce opponent. Although I would like a rematch once all of this is over." Gantenbine grinned.

Chad returned the gesture and gave a thumbs up. "Anytime."

"If we are asking for rematches then I want to fight the Squad 11 Captain again."

"Absolutely not! You're not getting killed a second time!"

"Awww Hali, I didn't think you'd cry over me if I died." Nnoitra joked, it earned him a splash of water to the face.

"I'm not letting any of you die, but don't push your luck."

"Everyone! The food is done!" From the beach, she could see Hiyori yelling at them. "Come out to eat!"

The group got out of the sea and headed for the food. Dinner did not last long, but to her there was an air of calmness during that time. She'd been worried everyone would be fighting or tense, yet everything seemed to be going well between them.

After eating Momo and Toshiro were building up a bonfire with Kido.

"Those two and their love for horror stories. I'm probably not gonna sleep after this." Lisa commented.

"We'll just chug some vodka until we fall asleep. Honestly, I do miss seeing the girls do this back home."

"What are they going to do?" Orihime asked.

"They'll make a huge bonfire and we'll all sit around it. Then everyone takes a turn telling creepy stories. Since both Hachigen-San and Momo are here they can even use kido to add effects." Shizuka explained the concept to her. It seemed interesting enough.

When everyone had eaten they all say around the fire. Kukkapuro had fallen asleep on her lap, beside her Loly and Menoly were cuddling, shivering from the story. She was surprised to see Uryu wrapping them in a towel.

"I'll stay with you until it's over." He sat behind the girls and they seemed to have calmed down.

Everyone seemed to be on edge except for Kira, who was telling the story, Momo and Hachigen who were using their kido to create light effects, and Ulquiorra who was almost impossible to scare.

The rest of them varied from mildly disturbed to terrified. Orihime herself felt the story was unsettling.

The tale was about a pair of friends who had horrible lives at home, and parents that made hers look like saints. One night during a chat session they confessed to one other their mutual desire to end their lives, and once they did that their computers seemed to be corrupted by a virus. The virus would kill them in three days because of their confession, and it would stalk them like a ghost through their electronic devices until that time period ended.

The pair didn't seem to mind at first but soon realized that while their lives were horrible they had the possibility of getting better, and if the virus killed them, then they would never get that chance.

As of now, they were on the third day and the way Kira was describing the atmosphere was freaking her out.

"Soon the 36 hours would be over, but Sayaka got there in the nick of time. Hiroki's room was dark save for the light of the computer. He was trying to stand up but the beating he received hours prior had left him weak.

Sayaka helped him up, she began typing the words that would save them from imminent demise. However just as she was typing the power went out."

"Fuck." She had heard Nnoitra mutter, even he looked unsettled.

"It came back mere seconds after, but only a message remained on the computer screen. It read 'turn around.' They didn't comply, knowing what would come, but had to do so eventually. Behind them, the virus appeared!"

In a flash, the wide bonfire went from red to blue and took the shape of a ghostly woman with long claws, a torn up mouth and blank eyes. Everyone screamed in unison. Orihime clung to Ulquiorra who remained still, his eyes only widening slightly.

She saw Kira, Momo and Hachigen chuckling at the group's reaction. Around here everybody was still shaken up. Halibel and her fraccion were clinging to eachother in a pile. Tesla seemed to have fainted over Jeanne who was hugging Nnoitra. Uryu had been tackled by the terrified Loly and Menoly. From what she could see only Ichigo, Tatsuki, Gantenbine and the Vizards had recovered.

"End it already! I'm not going to sleep tonight!" Rangiku was clutching onto Gin, who just grinned at the whole affair.

Kira laughed. "Ok. I'm almost done." He nodded towards Hachigen and Momo who lit up the fire once again.

 

"The virus began to choke the pair, nearly killing them. However, Sayaka kept banging on the keyboard, before it was too late the virus disappeared with a shriek. The way to stop her was to write in the chat that the pair desired to live and would no longer take life for granted. After that incident, Sayaka and Hiroki would leave their hometown forever and managed to start a new life far away. One evening they were watching the news, apparently, a group of teens had died under mysterious circumstances. One of them had drawn a creature that resembled the virus. Hiroki and Sayaka held hands and realized that they'd been lucky to escape that fate. They vowed to one day rid the net of that horrid virus, so that no one had to go through what they'd suffered."

As Kira concluded the story the group clapped. A wave of relief flashing over everyone.

"That was so scary! I'm glad they didn't die at the end." Orihime sighed. "What do you think?" She realized she was still clinging to a blushing Ulquiorra, Made worse by the fact they were both in their swimming suits. Orihime quickly let go. "Sorry."

She could see Jeanne and Shizuka giggling and Ulquiorra glaring at them.

"Perhaps we've had enough ghost stories for a night. I reckon it's been twenty minutes since we ate, a swim could help cool us down." Hachigen put out the fire and helped clean up.

Ulquiorra helped her stand up. Orihime looked around and realized everyone had already split into groups. Hiyori, Menoly, Momo and Loly were building a sand castle. Hitsugaya and Gin were helping them and Matsumoto brought buckets with water. Since all the food and bonfire had been cleaned the other vizards and arrancar were setting up a volleyball net.

'Who knew, they'd get along so well.'

She decided to go swim again with Ulquiorra and Kukkapuro. The moonlight and shimmering stars along with the sound of the waves were all very calming.

"I didn't think you could make the beach warm in winter."

"Lieutenant Hinamori said Hachigen used a weather kido to make this possible. It is also why we came at night, so that humans wouldn't see us."

"Makes sense." She looked out at the beach, at the smiling faces of her friends. "If you told me last year that I would gain supernatural powers, fight in a war and meet so many amazing people, I wouldn't have believed it." Orihime chuckled.

"I wouldn't have believed how things would turn out either, still I'm very happy this is our life now."

Orihime couldn't help but smile when she heard that. Ulquiorra himself finally saying he's happy was something she'd been looking forward to. The green-eyed arrancar sometimes still retained his melancholic look, and there were still countless things she wanted him to experience, but right now he looked as human as ever.

He seemed to smile a little as he looked at her. " I don't think all of this could've been possible without you."

She laughed and looked away. "You're always saying that. Talking so highly of me. The truth is I don't feel like I have done much other than cry. I'm not a fighter, I just want to help, but then I ended up making things worse. The only thing I'm proud of right now, is that I was able to save you."

"I don't think there's anyone here on this beach that isn't happy to have met you. Your human friends were willing to storm into Hueco Mundo for you. I found it a rather foolish act at the time, it is only now I can comprehend why they would do that for you. Not to mention those of them who lack powers would have done something had they been able.

Soul Society once branded you a traitor, yet the shinigami still believed in you. The knew you made a sacrifice and we're willing to help you, no matter what.

The Vizards seem close to you. Something I found puzzling at first given that they do not interact with people outside of their group. Then I got to know you, and it was clear they would quickly consider you a part of the family.

I have yet to interact much with Ishida, still I know he cares for you deeply. He was willing to take you up to the canopy and fight for you. I'm sure his family also hold you in high regard.

If I was to choose however I think those who would wish you were a part of their own are the arrancars. You put your own life on the line taking care of us. You healed us, took me and Kukkapuro in, have helped with our training, you listen without judgment. I don't think anyone else would have given us another chance after what we put you through. Orihime, all of the people here are like your own Squad."

Orihime wiped the happy tears from her eyes before he finished. It was always like this with Ulquiorra. From the days at the dark halls of Las Noches he found ways to subtly compliment her. Now that they were close friends he'd say things to her that nobody else ever would.

"My own Halcyon Squad huh, I like that." She looked at Ulquiorra with a smile. "You always know how to make me happy. Thank you, Ulquiorra."

Before they could say anything else Kukkapuro jumped into Orihime's arms, he was whimpering.

"A hollow?" Orihime asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes. A big hollow, it's coming from the ocean."

As if on cue a gigantic hollow that resembled a squid emerged from the sea.

'A Kraken?!'

She noticed the others were rushing towards the water, waiting to strike the hollow. Toshiro, Momo, and Gin were the first to arrive. Rose and Lisa had dawned their hollow masks. Uryu was ready to shoot arrows at the hollow, Shizuka and Chad were beside him with their weapons and Jeanne seemed to have her sword in hand, waiting for a chance to use her release command.

"I think it's best we test the hollows strength. It could have a hard shell like the one we fought on Christmas." Chad's suggestion made sense. At his suggestion, Ulquiorra charged up a cero and fired it at the hollow. Not only was it ineffective, but it was reflected back at them.

"Santen Kesshun, I reject!" Her shield kept the cero from hitting them. The Kraken noticed and attempted to break the shield with one of its tentacles, but still, it would not crack.

"We need a plan. Captain Hitsugaya, could you use your Bankai to freeze the hollow?" Shizuka asked.

Hitsugaya nodded. "If we can find it's weak point then I'll freeze everything but that point. Captain Otoribashi, could you use your zanpakuto to ensnare the hollow?"

"Yes, I'll take care of that, but how can we figure out what is the hollow's weak point? Attacking it randomly could be dangerous."

"We can distract him and then someone can climb over it." Shziuka mentioned. "I'll use the sea water to distract the hollow."

Jeanne grinned. "Then I will climb it."

"Are you sure Jeanne?"

"Trust me girlie, I can do it."

"Very well. Orihime-Chan, can you put up a shield for the others back at the beach? This might be messy."

"Sure thing Ichimaru-Kun." Orihime replaced her shield with a wider version that could protect everyone. The plan was put into motion. She stopped Jeanne swimming towards the hollow and hear her mutter a few words as she raised her sword.

"Arise, Perezosa."

A light glow came from the sword along with a puff of smoke, when it dissipated Orihime was amazed by her friend's transformation. Jeanne's mohawk had grown to reach her waist. She had a one-piece white suit covered with spikes and fur, and her nails had grown quite long.

'So that means, she's a sloth.' It seemed fitting. As the Jeanne climbed the unknowing squid Shizuka was moving the waves with her zanpakuto, distracting the hollow. He used it's tentacles to try and attack the waves, only for Shizuka to disband them and start over.

Jeanne had reached the top of the hollow, after poking around for a while she found the weak spot. "IT'S HERE! SHOOT IT!" she yelled.

As quickly as possible Rose released his zanpakuto, a golden whip, which he used to tie the Kraken's tentacles together. The creature struggled but was subdued for the time being. Hitsugaya released his Bankai, which gave him ice wings and a tail. He used his power to freeze the gigantic squid in place, leave uncovered the place where Jeanne stood.

She used her sonido to climb off and allow the others to shoot. Lisa and Gin Released their zanpakutos, both of them looked like spears. They stabbed the weak point of the hollow, and it's shell cracked, but he didn't disappear.

"What?! It's still alive?!" Momo looked surprised. "How else can we beat it?"

Orihime thought for a moment, then spoke. "I can try something, but I would have to dispatch the shields."

"Not a problem. I'll create a kido barrier." Momo assured her. "Be quick, I think the Kraken got angry."

The gigantic squid broke free of its icy prison and began to swing his tentacles frantically. The group had to dive underwater to avoid them.

They all came to the surface quickly, Orihime scanned the vicinity as fast as she could. Ulquiorra, Uryu and Chad were the ones closer to the hollow. She swam toward Ulquiorra.

"I need your help." She told him holding out her hand. He nodded and took it. "Ishida-Kun, Sado Kun! Shoot at the hollow now!"

Her reverse healing was working well, the orange glow coming from the hollow told her as much. "Ulquiorra, please fire a cero as well. We need a huge surge of power."

Ulquiorra complied. The usual green light illuminated the tip of his fingers and then shot through the night sky. The blue of Chad and Uryu's attack combined with Ulquiorra's cero was enough to make the hollow melt away.

Nobody made a move until Kukkapuro swam towards the hollow's remains and consumed them.

"I think we're done. That thing was though to kill..." Jeanne went back to her normal form, she looked worried as she picked up Kukkapuro from the water.

"They haven't even been gathering pressure lately. What the hell could she want sending huge critters like that?" Shizuka pouted.

"It's simple. She is testing us. Cerberus must be near completion. All that's left is for her to strengthen him and put her plan into motion."

"That means she's ready to attack?"

"Yes. Time's almost up."


	18. Unstable Credence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Finally I can upload. Sorry for taking so long everyone, I started college again and this chapter is really long one. I hope it's worth the wait and you all enjoy! Thanks for reading!
> 
> © Bleach and it's characters don't belong to me. They belong to Tite Kubo and Shounen Jump (Only Shizuka, Anna and Jeanne belong to me)

**Chapter 18: Unstable Credence**

Orihime fell backwards onto the cold sand. She didn't have time to move as Mila was coming down on her with her lion claws.

"Santen Kesshun, I reject!"

Mila bounced against her shield and retreated. Orihime too that as an opportunity to attack, before the lioness arrancar had a chance act first.

"Koren Zanshun, I reject!" The many yellow lights headed towards Mila, but Gantenbine intervened just in time.

'Fighting two people at the same time is so different from before...'

She changed her approach, watch out for both of her opponents. As she saw Gantenbine rushing towards her with his sword Orihime made sure to have a way to retaliate.

"Megami no Ha, I reject!" She held the blade in a blocking stance trying to figure out how would Gantenbine attack next.

She could hear Mila trying to sneak up behind her, just as Gantenbine struck her sword again. "Shiten Koshun, I reject!" This time she used a bubble instead of a shield. When her opponents attacked the bubble, their attacks reflected at them.

Orihime quickly materialized her sword again, Gantenbine stood up first. "Koten Zanshun!" The sharp light fragments kept the male Arrancar pinned down. Seeing how Mila was getting up Orihime turned her attention to her.

Once again, she used her sword to block Mila, waiting for the moment to strike. The second the lioness let her guard down Orihime used her shield again.

Mila seemed to catch on to what she was doing, yet it was too late, she had already hit the shield and her attack reflected instantly.

"Match over! Orihime is the winner!" Halibel declared from the stairs. Jeanne quickly made her way down the marble steps and checked on the others. "They're uninjured. Give em' five minutes and they'll be up. Good job girlie!"

"Thanks Jeanne-San. I feel bad having to knock them out."

"Don't worry, arrancar organs and bone are harder than humans. If they weren't then Nnoitra would probably have died a thousand times already."

Orihime chuckled. "I guess you're right."

"You can both go inside. I'll wait for these two to get back up." Jeanne sat back down to wait for Gantenbine and Mila.

"Very well, we'll be at the lounge."

She walked in silence with Halibel. The halls looked just as she remembered. 'To think that just two months ago these halls were like a prison, now they're like second nature.'

"Tell me Inoue, how has life with Ulquiorra and Kukkapuro been?"

"It's been wonderful! We're all a little anxious because of Anna, but time with the boys has been really nice. I suspect Ulquiorra enjoys too, he's even a better cook than me! We've also been to new places and he seems quite settled in. Kukkapuro is just like a regular pup, his presence really cheers us up when we need it. I can't imagine not having them around anymore. Guess I've grown attached." she giggled nervously and scratched the back of her head.

"It is only natural. Ulquiorra usually kept to himself here, but he seemed taken with you upon arrival. It's good to hear he's settling in."

"Really? I thought he found me annoying when we first met. To be fair I was a little irritable during that time."

"I'm sure. He was always silently pondering what to discuss with you, or how to make you cave into his way of thinking. In the end, the opposite happened and you changed him for the better. The initial annoyance might've because none of us were ever particularly cheerful, he wasn't used to your nature."

'That makes sense.' Ulquiorra seemed to enjoy it whenever she acted like her bubbly self. 'Every time I cried he did his best to make me feel better.' She had even seen him crack a smile here an there. 'He looks cute when he smiles.'

"I'm really happy with the boys back at home, maybe once this is all over you can come visit again. After all, I've liked spending time with you guys too. Even if it's been mostly training."

Halibel seemed surprised by her words but also pleased. "That's very kind of you, after all you've done for us is only fair that there's something we can do for you in turn. I have to say we all enjoyed our trip yesterday, your acquaintances were different from what we expected, and the beach was beautiful." Halibel seemed to be smiling as she said that.

"I'm happy you all enjoyed yourselves. Sometimes I feel like things are all getting worst, but the small moments keep me going."

Halibel pulled her close. "Just remember we'll all be here for you, through both good and bad moments."

Orihime smiled and nuzzled closer to Halibel. "Thank you." They walked into the lounge together and were greeted by silence.

Ulquiorra was quietly on one of the chairs. Tesla was brushing Menoly's hair and Appaci was talking to Cyan.

"How was training?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Orihime has improved significantly in her training. She was able to face two strong opponents, and win."

A smile formed in the corner of his lips. "That's wonderful. I'm very proud of you, woman."

She wanted to happy cry, nobody else had allowed her to train for offense. As if she wasn't worth the bother, but Ulquiorra believed in her and now she had made him proud.

Orihime smiled and hugged him tightly. "Thank you Ulquiorra!"

"You're welcome."

She heard the others giggling across the room. When she let go of Ulquiorra they all looked away, trying to stifle their giggles.

"Oi, where's the cow and afro boy?"

"Jeanne is healing them. They'll be here soon. Who won your duel?"

Appaci grinned and stared at a slightly angry Cyan.

"Shut up." Cyan muttered with a glare.

"Didn't say anything snakey." she chuckled. "Now all that's left to do is wait, huh?"

"Precisely. I think that we've all reached our peak, however, that does not mean we should stop getting in shape. Everyone must train at least once a week, until this is all over."

She could tell Halibel sounded tired, they all did. The constant stress was taking it's toll. 'I'll have to cheer everyone up soon.'

"Oh good, you're still here." Jeanne rushed into the room with the rest of the group close behind. "A little while ago I was snooping around the lab and found these." she handed her a stack of papers. "I'm not sure if this'll help, Loly and I found them in a small secret room, they were all arranged in a wall."

Orihime scanned each of the papers. They were four watercolor paintings. The only one she could identify was one of Hanabira. The rest were strangers.

"We'll look them over. Thanks for everything guys."

"Stay safe we shall be leaving now."

***

"How are you doing today Captain Ukitake?" Shizuka was careful not to spill anything when bringing the tea tray to the room. Captain Ukitake had been sick for about three days and had retreated to his personal quarters at the 13th division lake.

"I'm feeling better, good timing since tomorrow's is new years eve. I'm sorry I couldn't talk to you about this over the phone, seems like I'm just making you travel for nothing."

"I don't mind captain! It's always good to see you. Here's the sword."

She passed the broken zanpakuto to Ukitake. A flash of a sorrow crossed his face. "It is as I suspected. This was my brother's sword."

"Your brother?"

"Yes. I'm the oldest out of eight siblings. Mitsuru was the youngest of our household. Around 20 years ago he was to be the shinigami of Naruki City, but he died in action."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I was just curious as to why there was a zanpakuto back in the world of the living."

"That's alright dear. I'm like talking about him, even if he's gone."

"What was he like?"

"He was a bookworm. Very nerdy and studious, but mostly fond of the arts. He resembled me in looks, but his hair was black and much longer. You two would have probably gotten along, he was very friendly too..."

"He sounds really nice. I wish I could've met him."

The pair sipped their tea and kept talking. "How are the others doing?"

"Everyone's fine, they all miss you. Ichigo especially. I'm sure he'd love to see everyone again."

"Kurosaki Ichigo is one of the most promising shinigami I have met. It's truly a shame that he had to lose his powers to save us. The kid was not the one who needed to sacrifice his power, it should have been us."

"I'm sure he knows how you feel. I haven't personally known him for that long, but Ichigo does seem to hold his duties in high regard, and he has nothing but praises for you and the other captains. This boy is still supporting us, and so are his friends."

"I'm happy to see you've all become friends. Hopefully, this experience will do you good."

"It already has." Shizuka said. Finally seeing the human world, where most of her favorite things came from, making new friends, actually falling in love...

She had to bite the inside of her lip to keep from crying. 'It has been too good.' for the first time in decades, she had felt happy and soon that would over and all that she had left were the bleak halls of the Fujiwara estate. 'Don't think about it.'

"I should get going. Is there anything else I can do for you before I go?"

"No thanks, Shizuka-San. I'll just take a nap until noon. Feel free to visit whenever you like. Good luck."

"Thank you Captain. Have a nice rest!"

Upon leaving the lakehouse Shziuka headed for the world of the living. 'Something doesn't seem right. A respected member of the Ukitake family should have been buried with his zanpakuto. This doesn't add up at all.'

***  
He had looked at the watercolors for almost an hour now. There wasn't anyone there could recognize aside from Hanabira.

"Maybe these are Anna's parents? They look a little like her. Plus the names aren't written in kanji, rather they're in Spanish." Orihime suggested as she pointed to a drawing of a couple. The woman was tan with curly blonde hair and icy blue eyes, and the male had pale skin and black hair and eyes.

"The resemblance it's there. Perhaps all the people here are deceased family members or friends of Anna."

The remaining two papers had unknown people drawn in them. There was a couple in one of them, a shinigami with long black hair and brown eyes hugging a human girl with black and blonde streaked hair. The other had a drawing of a woman in a kimono, the right half of her face was scarred and she had long dark hair.

"It sounds so sad, that these might be the last memories she had of her friends. That they're probably all dead."

'I knew she'd said that.' Only somebody as kind as her would be grieving people she hadn't even met. He gently took her hand, she moved closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"If I was to lose you, then it'd have to spend the rest of my time painting you. That way I wouldn't forget your face."

His eyes widened. Ulquiorra had to calm himself, otherwise, he was convinced he would weep. "I do not how you do it, but every day you seem to convince me that being here was the right choice."

"Do you regret it?"

"No. I would never regret being here with you. If anything I am fearful that you would be taken away from me again."

Orihime placed her hand on his cheek, softly caressing him. "I'm never going to leave you. No matter what happens."

He took her hand away from her face and kissed it. "Very well."

She smiled and hugged him, a little tighter than usual. He didn't pull away until she broke the hug.

"Let's go cook something for lunch. I'm sure you must be tired after all that training!"

He nodded. "Then let's get to work Head Chef Inoue."

She laughed as they walked towards the kitchen. Kukkapuro was already there, sleeping soundly in his doggy bed.

"Okay so we have sweet potatoes, red bean paste, and also beef. We can make a stew!"

"Sounds good. I'll begin boiling the water." He concentrated on his task, hoping it would help calm him down. 'All these variables keep straying us farther away from her plans. No wonder she's so smug we'll never figure it out.'

"Ulquiorra?"

"Yes, woman?"

"Thanks again for taking me to train. I've probably said it a million times already, but I'm happy to be learning to fight...and I wouldn't have been able to do so if it wasn't for you."

"I'm glad I could help you. It was clear from the start you have potential for battlefield. Although personally, I believe your kindness is the best weapon you have."

"You really think so?"

"Yes. If you could get the entirety of the remaining Arrancar to befriend you, you can achieve any diplomatic mission in existence."

Orihime smiled. "You make it sound like they're crazy."

"Oh but they are, Halibel is probably telling them to stay on her best behavior. I'm not entirely free of guilt since I never tried to stop them, but you should have seen the mishaps they'd get into. Whenever Grimmjow and Nnoitra butted heads there would be blood or Anna, Szayel and Jeanne's conversations..." He shuddered. " I've never met any beings who were so lewd! How many inmuendos can be said during a conversation?!"

The time Orihime laughed so much she almost knocked down the spice cabinet. "I can picture it. Sometimes Chizuru does the same thing and it unnerving!"

"That confirms there are irritating individuals in every species."

Orihime nodded. Now that the stew was cooking all that was left to do is wait. Before they could sit down there was a loud knock on the door. Kukkapuro woke up and began running towards the door, to greet the visitors. Orihime went after him. "I'll get the door."

Ulquiorra was surprised to see Shizuka and Gin in their shinigami attire. "Hey Batsy!"

He waved to the pair. Orihime came back with the drawings and placed them on the table. "The only one who we recognized is Hanabira, and it's likely these two are Anna's biological parents," Orihime told them. "Do you guys recognize the other three?"

"Oh shit."

"What is it? Do you know them?" He asked Shizuka, she shook her head.

"Not exactly. You remember the broken zanpakuto I mentioned a while ago. Well, I found it out it used to belong to a shinigami named Mitsuru Ukitake. I was told he died a few years back, but if this drawing is to be believed, then he was working with Anna or at the very least they knew each other."

"It's more likely they worked together. Mitsuru was the youngest member of the Ukitake clan, he was born little after Anna was supposedly executed. That means that if she knew him as an adult they met before his death." Gin answered. "From the looks of it the person hugging him in the drawings might be a human girl or a fullbringer."

"Good point, but that opens up another variable. What if she has agents here in the world of the living? What if the girl from the picture is alive and working with her? Or maybe more potential shinigami allies..."

"That's not good. She could have spies infiltrated everywhere."

"What about this person is she alive or dead?" Orihime pointed to the picture of the lady in the kimono. Ulquiorra noticed Shizuka didn't react but Gin seemed mildly saddened by the picture.

"So this is what she looked like..." He said in a vanishing voice.

"Who is she?"

"Kakyo Tsunayashiro."

"So she's a noble..." Shziuka muttered.

"Not exactly. Kakyo was a Tsunayashiro by marriage. She married the current head of the clan, Tokinada Tsunayashiro. Although we don't have to worry about Kakyo, she died long ago."

That meant that woman wasn't a threat they needed to worry about. Although he was curious as to why Gin seemed upset.

"What happened to her? We know Mitsuru died in action, Anna's parents were killed by a hollow, Hanabira was executed and the mysterious human girl's status is unconfirmed, but how did Kakyo die?"

"She was murdered by her husband."

Ulquiorra's eyes widened at those words. He could see the girls were disturbed by this too.

"Please tell me this is one of your dark jokes."

"Sorry ta disappoint Shizuka-chan, but I don't like joking about the dead. Kakyo was murdered by her husband, who still holds his position as head of the Tsunayashiro clan."

"Seriously?! He killed someone and they let him keep his position?! No jail time or punishment?!" Orihime's pale face went red with rage.

Shizuka sighed. "He could go on a killing spree and there'd be no consequences. The Tsunayashiro are one of the four great noble clans, as such their authority is bigger than that of the Central 46. The only ways to take him out would be either by proving he's a traitor or by killing him. If a Shihonin, Kuchiki or Fujiwara did thus the results would be the same, a high noble can get away with murder easily.

"Is that why Kaname Tousen's joined up with Aizen? To avenge his friend?" Ulquiorra asked as he waited for the girls' anger to subside

Gin nodded. "Tousen and I weren't all that close, but I can't say I didn't appreciate the man, as stuck up as he was.

He told me everything about her, how he never saw her face, but it felt beautiful, that it was likely she had an injury in her right side but didn't detract from the rest of her attributes. That's she was nice, with a strong sense of justice and that she was going to become a shinigami to help those in Rukon... Little did she know that wouldn't last long.

Being aware of the details of her death, Kaname tried to get an audience with the Central 46 yet he was dismissed. Apparently, Kakyo had reprimanded her husband for killing a comrade over a dispute, so he killed her. Both victims were framed as 'traitors' and Tokinada got off without a consequence. This event prompted Kaname to give up on the current justice system and join Aizen in seeking punishment for the Central 46 and Tokinada. I suppose it was his own way of seeking justice."

The room went eerily quiet. Even Kukkapuro had just curled up in his bed with small tears streaming from his hollow eyes.

"...I can't believe this. Letting murder go unpunished, but burning someone alive for bailing on an arranged marriage. What kind of system is that?!" Orihime's voice was vanishing, ending in a mix between a sob and a squeak.

"A fucked up one. I don't agree with Aizen's methods or the fact that he has brought so much suffering to many of my close friends, still I can understand why he did it." Shizuka's voice was also strained.

"I don't think I'll ever forgive him for what he's done, but it's clear he knew just how bad we had it." Gin composed himself. "In any case, we have to look out for the mysterious human lady until we are sure of her fate."

"On an unrelated note. Ginjo-San set up a karaoke machine for employees night, we're heading to the club tonight if you want to join us."

"After all this, I think I need some fun. What about you Ulquiorra?"

"I shall go too."

"Oki doki! Lisa brings the bus in at 7, see ya later!"

When the white-haired pair left he saw Orihime fall down on her knees. Ulquiorra quickly rushed to her side. "Are you alright woman?"

"I'm fine Ulquiorra."

That was a lie, she sounded like she did at Hueco Mundo. Ulquiorra gently raised her chin up, tears were creeping on her silver eyes and her cheeks were still red. He just held her close and waited for her to speak first.

"It's not fair. Everything was crystal clear before, who was wrong, who was right, what side deserved to win. Now I'm not sure what should we even do. If Anna wins Karakura and all of it's residents are blown to bits, if she loses there is no one else left to try and change Soul Society's system."

"I know what you mean. Jeanne once asked Kaname Tousen about the Soul Society. I was in the room at the moment and I got to hear his answers.

The man praised very few things like some squad members and colleagues, but the rest was nothing but scorn towards the system and the people who run it, particularly the upper class. I did not give it much thought, as I had no interest in shinigami at the time, and it was obvious he was biased against them.

Now his words echo in my head, and I find myself torn between wanting to continue upon his legacy or simply put the matter to rest."

"Maybe someone will change it from within, that would be the best option."

'Indeed, that would for the best.' he thought. His eyes unintentionally glanced over the drawing of Hanabira. 'But we know what happened to those who try to change the system from within...'

***  
Orihime didn't feel happy, even her yummy meal or her gorgeous silver dress didn't cheer her up. She felt like an invisible weight had been dropped on her shoulders. Ulquiorra looked the same way. His pretty eyes weren't glittering with happiness, or darkened with anger, rather they just looked empty. Orihime walked over to him helping him with his tie.

"I take it we're both feeling the same."

He nodded. " Hopefully we'll both recover slightly tonight."

"We can sing a duet if you like. I've always wondered what you'd sound like singing."

Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow. "Is this because you think I would make a good Phantom of the Opera?"

"Why would you think that?" She joked, smiling when she saw him grinning.

"Let's get going." Ulquiorra helped her put on her coat. When they were ready, she waited for Kukkapuro to step into her bag.

"Are you comfy?" She asked the pup, who responded with a happy bark.

Stepping outside she noticed the night was closer than usual, even if it wasn't snowing yet. As expected Lisa arrived just in time, their ride felt awfully short compared to last time.

When they came in Uryu and Tatsuki were already there saving them a table.

"Hey everyone!" Tatsuki waved. "I see you all got dolled up."

Shizuka winked. "You know it darling! One sec, I thought berry boy was with you."

"He's in the basement training, paranoia seems to be at an all-time high with Kurosaki." Uryu pushed up his glasses, his expression was a mix of understanding and disappointment.

"I'll go fish him out later. Now onto important matters, who's gonna sing?"

"I just saw Rangiku bolt for the machine with Ichimaru, Hinamori and Captain Hitsugaya."

She looked towards the line in front of the machine and laughed. Hinamori and Rangiku were dragging Hitsugaya with them as Gin looked over the song catalog.

"Those four look like a little family. It's cute." Lisa chuckled, as she reached for her phone. "I'll record the show!"

"Family or not, Gin baldy is probably gonna sound horrible." Hiyori looked around. "Where's Rose?"

"He's going to sing too. You know how the captain can be when it comes to music." Izuru sighed. "I just hope he doesn't hog the machine."

She felt Ulquiorra place a hand on her shoulder. "We will make sure that Captain Otoribashi does not occupy the machine all night."

Orihime smiled. "Okay, let sing."

They walked towards the machine together. "Thanks for agreeing to sing with me." she told him. "I would be nervous to do this alone."

"If I am to be honest with you I do not know if I have a good singing voice. The only one who liked to sing around Hueco Mundo was Mila Rose. I enjoyed listening to music, still there is a possibility I might sound horrible."

"We'll never know until we try. I have a feeling you'll do great."

The song catalog was very big, she wasn't sure what to pick. Ulquiorra seemed to like classical music, but neither of them could sing opera. She was open to any type of song, still, she wanted him to enjoy himself too.

As Orihime flipped the pages she found a section of translated foreign songs, seeing how many of the Arrancar were from different countries maybe he'd heard one of them

"Do you recognize any of these?"

He scanned the page for a moment, his eyes widened slightly when he read one of the titles. "I remember this one, it's very beautiful."

She read the title. 'Destiny or Chance' #42680"

"Okay then, we can sing that one! I'll check the lyrics before our turn."

She gave the number to the D.J who nodded and placed them on the queue. They both went back to the table, Kukkapuro had snuck into Hiyori's lap, The other Vizards were all ready to record the chaos that would unfold, Shizuka scooted over to save them a seat. "How bad do you think this is gonna get?"

"Given that Otoribashi is good with music his performance it's likely to be good, the other group, however, has Ichimaru attached to them. That could be a gamble."

"Ditto batsy. What about you guys?"

"I'm not sure what to expect, but given that I'm not an expert on music I'll just sit back and enjoy the show."

"I agree with Ishida, anyway I'm surprised Chad isn't gonna sing, wouldn't it be good practice for the band?"

"I rather save it for when we have to play, I don't like singing without them."

"What about you Shizuka?"

"Singing is fun, but I rather just stick with the turntables. I'm not a fan of the spotlight."

"I think the group is about to start. Prepare yourselves." Kira warned. "Let's hope Hinamori's voice can get them out of this."

Of all the things she was expecting, it wouldn't have crossed her mind to think the shinigami group would be singing Bohemian Rhapsody. Let alone that all of them would be great singers.

"I didn't expect that..." Hachigen spoke for all of them.

The music was soothing and everybody seemed to know the lyrics well, the surprise, however, came when they started singing the Opera parts. It was so well done, yet so funny at the same time almost everyone erupted into a fit of giggles.

"I cant believe them! Those dorks!"

After the song was over the group bowed and left the stage. Everyone clapped when they saw them return to the table.

" Tada! Bet you weren't expecting that!" Rangiku smiled.

"... I'm never letting any of you drag me into that again."

"Aw c'mon Shiro-Chan. You sounded great! We should show the video to granny!" Momo hugged Hitsugaya who blushed profoundly.

"It's Captain Hitsugaya! And we shall not show that to granny!"

Everyone at the table chuckled, at that. While the others talked, ate and drank Orihime quickly checked the song she was going to sing with Ulquiorra along with the lyrics.

'Its ok, it's just karoke. We'll be fine.' In any other circumstances she wouldn't have been so nervous, but after having such a heavy revelation today she knew they both needed a breather. It was clear he was still upset, just as she was. 'I hate seeing him like that.' she thought.

Rose had stepped on to the stage and was ready to sing. From the corner of her eyes, she could see Shizuka and Tatsuki comforting Kira.

"I know we're both tired of hearing him sing, but at least he'll just do it once today." The former tried to cheer Kira up

"Besides, at least we know he's passionate about it."

"Too passionate I'd say." Kira let himself fall facedown onto the table. "Wake me up when he shuts up."

It was expected that Rose would have a lovely voice, what she did not expect was to hear him sing symphonic metal.

"Well, at least it's not opera again." Shizuka said. Kira shuddered, presumably remembering the times his new captain sang opera back in the Squad.

"He's really good. I can see why it would get tiring after a while, but I do like his voice."

"That's true. It's good he's having fun. I get worried when the Captain is stressed." Shizuka stood up." I'm going to get him a drink, no doubt he'll have a sore throat when he comes back."

The last notes of the song echoed in the club, she knew it was their turn. 'Deep breaths, it'll be fine. Just sing and you'll both enjoy yourselves.'

Ulquiorra took her hand as they both walked towards the stage. Once they were there she handed him the microphone. The machine signaled with green the lyrics that were meant for the male singer, blue for the female singer and teal for the lines that involved them both.

'Here we go.'

The soft sound of an acoustic guitar signaled the start of the song. She waited for the letters to appear, the lyrics were in Japanese instead of Spanish, so she made sure to match the words along with the original song, despite the difference in language.

_She was walking alone on the street Thinking God, how complicated love is_   
_She asked herself what was the detail that Cupid surely had misunderstood_

'Ok, so far so good. Now it's Ulquiorra's turn.'

_He gave like every night turns in the bed_   
_Suddenly a romantic song played on the radio_   
_Maybe it was the singer's words that poured salt in the wound_   
_And since he lacked sleep he went to look for it_

Ulquiorra's singing voice was even more graceful than she had expected. For a moment she almost forgot they both had to sing the next part.

_The two were walking in the same direction_   
_And I'm not talking about the errant direction of their steps_   
_He looked at her, she answered with a sigh_   
_And the universe conspired to bind them_

_Two strangers dancing under the moonlight_   
_Become lovers to the beat_   
_Of that strange melody,_   
_which some call fate,_   
_And others prefer to call it chance_

The small pause until the next verse felt eternal. Orihime felt her cheeks grow hot, along with a small shiver, creeping up her spine. 'What's wrong with me?' She hadn't felt that way before.

Ulquiorra took her hand before resuming the song. His eyes were focused on her, even if the song went on.

_He whispered in her ear: My love, where were you?_   
_During the time I desperately searched for you?_

It was as if he was singing only for her, the lyrics reminded her of the dream she had when she looked through his eyes in the cold desert desperately seeking his princess to no avail.

Her eyes met his, and she went on singing.

She replied: I'm sorry, I was busy Although to be honest, now I do not know why.

Those words reminded her of Ichigo. 'Being so busy looking at someone else, when I should have been looking at you.'

They kept on singing, she pulled Ulquiorra closer, which seemed to surprise him, but not displease him.

_The night turned to day, but the moon did not leave_   
_She stayed to see them, resting on the sun's shoulder_   
_'Shine on them brightly all day,_   
_And when the night comes, I will seal their passion'_

_Two strangers dancing under the moonlight_   
_Become lovers to the beat_   
_Of that strange melody,_   
_which some call fate,_   
_And others prefer to call it chance_

_And they dance without caring about anything, that happens around them_

_And they dance and the people who look at them believe in love..._

'Could it be...Is he trying to confess? Is this why he picked the song?' Orihime shoved those questions away, they needed to finish their duet. She could ask him after.

_Two strangers dancing under the moonlight_   
_Become lovers to the beat_   
_Of that strange melody,_   
_which some call fate,_   
_And others prefer to call it chance_

_And others prefer to call chance..._

By the song's end Orihime could feel her heart accelerating, the clapping and cheering from the people in the club sounded like static, Ulquiorra whisked her away from the stage onto a little corner where nobody would interrupt them.

"You must know why I wanted to talk to you now."

"Yes, but if you don't tell me directly. I can't give you an answer."

***  
This was it, the moment of truth. He was not planning on confessing to her, if anything it was more of an impulse, to face her directly as he sang, to make her feel those words as if they were his own.

'Whatever she decides, I will accept.'

"Our first meetings were not favorable, we were enemies and then jailer and prisoner, despite that I always felt there was strength in you. Not just physical strength, rather strength of will.

You weren't afraid, not of me, or of your fate. You didn't succumb to the cruelty that befell you if anything you fought it. It was around that time, that I grew curious towards you. Your way of thinking shook my reality to the core.

When Kurosaki came to rescue you I was ready to do anything to keep you with me. Looking back, I find the thought to be selfish. Still, I wanted you all to myself and I was ready to die if you were taken from me."

Tears began falling from her silver eyes. He wiped them away, not breaking their gaze.

"That longing only grew, when you fought with me. To see your inner fire come to the surface, to have my worldview completely shattered by your words. Emptiness could not be enough ever again, now it was only either you or oblivion. As I turned to ashes a fragment of me still held on to emptiness, I hoped you would tell me you were afraid, that you dashed my hopes away and I would die with nothing.

But you didn't. Instead, you reached for me, you saved me from death's door. All that went through my mind was 'Do I matter that much to her?'

I cannot tell you how desperate I was when you fainted in my arms, the mere possibility that you gave your life for me...It was too much to bear. Once you were healed and our affairs were in order my mind began to settle down.

You brought me here to your home, took care of me, and patiently showed me the workings of this beautiful and strange world. It was more than I could have hoped for, I finally felt like I belonged. My days were no longer empty, rather they were filled with thoughts of you...

I didn't know if it was love or just mere attachment. When Kurosaki wanted to date you I put the matter to rest, as it wouldn't be necessary to address it. You were happy with the man you loved, and I at the very least had your friendship. When he betrayed you my darker instincts wanted to rip him to shreds, to keep him from hurting you again. It probably sounds hypocritical, given that I hurt you in the past.

It was a pleasant surprise that you didn't cave to sadness, instead, you trained, you became stronger and reached your full potential. It made me so proud to see you fight, be the gentle yet strong warrior I always knew you were. That should have been enough for me to realize I was indeed in love with you.

However, my emotions were confirmed when we saw our past life together. I saw everything through Kanashi's eyes, and it was the same feeling that I experienced in this lifetime. I was sure now, that I loved you. Still, there were many obstacles: Our past, our uncertain future in Anna's hands, the difference in species and as much as I hate to admit it a part of me is still uncertain, knowing that you might never feel for me, what you felt for Kurosaki. So I chose to keep quiet.

I don't expect you to return my feelings, and I most certainly don't want you to lie. Just tell me, Orihime Inoue, is there any hope for me, to have your heart?"

He pulled her close. Orihime seemed to be blushing, as she studied his face like it was the first time she had seen it.

Orihime seemed to be blushing, as she studied his face like it was the first time she had seen it  
"If what you want is the truth, then that is what I shall give you." Orihime touched his cheek before she spoke. His skin was always cold to the touch, but now, it was just as warm as any other human.

"I was scared when we met. You were so powerful, so in control. I knew that you could kill me if you wanted to. Still, I saw it, that small glimmer of humanity you tried to keep buried.

Cruel words and empty treats could never conceal your true nature, that's why I was never afraid. When Ichigo came for me I was happy, to go back home, but a part of me wanted to stay. To stay until you healed, until you finally showed me that side of you I held onto so dearly.

During the fight, I almost felt as if it had been lost, that I was wrong and that cruelty was all there was to you. But my heart wouldn't give up, not even death would be enough to keep you away, just as your fingers disappeared so did my cowardice and I swore to do whatever I had to, to keep you alive. The accord, the skepticism from my friends, the change in my routine, all of it was worth it. So as long as you were with me.

I will not deny my love for Ichigo, because it was real, and I did love him for so many years. Nevertheless, time has showed me that we weren't meant to last. Had it not been that kiss, then it would have been the lack of connection, or our different philosophies or something as simple as lack of chemistry. No matter much I might have loved him, he didn't love me the same. I wouldn't waste one life, let alone five, with a man who never loved me.

Once my feelings for Ichigo vanished, I could truly look at you, the way I was supposed to. As a man who went through hell and came out ready to fight for his new life, a man who slowly redeemed himself in my eyes, a man that makes me stronger than before, who makes me happy, who knows what I want simply by looking at me with his perfect eyes.

I can no longer imagine my life without you, my nightmares are often about losing you forever, and I'm certain that no matter the distance or circumstances my heart would be bound to yours eternally.

My answer is yes. You have my heart Ulquiorra Schiffer, for as long as you may want it. "

This time he was the one who was crying. She kissed his tears away, until he smiled at her. It wasn't a common occurrence, but whenever he did smile she treasured the moment.

"I take it those are happy tears?"

"Yes, they are."

She gave him a hug, and they remained close together for a little while. Eventually, Ulquiorra pulled away. "We should get back with the others. I have a feeling they're already thinking of inapropiate scenarios."

She chuckled. "Ok then."

Just as expected everyone was waiting for them. Shizuka and Gin particularly had a goofy grin plastered on their faces. "Finally! I knew you'd be able to confess Batsy boy!"

"You knew about this. Didn't you?" Orihime told her.

Shizuka shrugged. "It was easy to tell, but in all seriousness, I'm happy for you both."

"Thank you."

***  
"In case you forgot there's a party upstairs. Your friends are already here, maybe it's time you call it quits."

Ginjo's voice started him. Ichigo turned around to face his trainer, who had been absent for most of the session.

"I'll tell Yukio's to finish the simulation." Ginjo made a motion with his hands and they were immediately back in the basement of the club rather than the videogame simulation. "Thanks buddy."

The blonde teen gave thumbs up without taking his eyes off the game.

"You look strange wearing a tux." He told Ginjo.

The older man rolled his eyes. "Don't remind me, Jackie was the one who insisted I had to look elegant."

"She probably just wants you to look professional. You know how goofy teenage employees can be."

"Yeah, although I do like having kids your age be the ones working here. Reminds me of my teenage years back at Naruki City."

"You're from Naruki? My mother used to live there as a teen."

"Maybe I knew her. What's her name?"

"Masaki."

"Masaki Kurosaki?"

Ichigo felt his eyes widened at the name. "Yes, although I was sure Kurosaki wasn't her maiden name."

"...They didn't tell you, did they?"

"Tell me what?"

Ginjo looked concerned, as if he was debating what to say next. "Maybe I shouldn't be the one to tell you about this, it is a family matter after all. Do you want me to tell you?"

Ichigo thought about it. He knew there were things he had yet to find out about his family. Aizen had almost told him before their battle, and even his father knew that he had questions. 'I told him I would wait, but I can't wait forever.'

"Yes, I'd like to know everything."

"Masaki Kurosaki, was a Quincy."


	19. The Vicennial Xcution

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello everybody! So quick announcement we are three chapters away from the end of part one, after part one is done I'll write the prequel and then part two. Just thought you should know so there's no confusion later. Hope you all enjoy the chapter. Thanks for reading!
> 
> © Bleach and it's characters don't belong to me, they belong to Tite Kubo and Shounen Jump. Only Shizuka and Anna Maria belong to me.

**Chapter 19: The Vicennial Xcution**

"You're joking. My mother was a Quincy?!"

"Yes. The Kurosaki's were one of the few clans of pureblood Quincies that survived the purge 200 years ago. Masaki was the last of the pure quincies of the line, given that your father was a shinigami."

"Wait! How come you know this? I thought you only knew I was a substitute shinigami."

"Your mother and I went to the same school. I had to leave Naruki before graduation and we only kept in touch through calls and letters." Ginjo walked towards a nearby table and picked up a picture. He handed it to Ichigo.

It was a picture of his mother holding him when he was a baby. That simple image made him smile. Under picture his mom had written: _Here I am with baby Ichigo! Hope to see you soon!_

"Did you meet again?" He asked Ginjo.

He nodded. "Only a few times. She did bring you as a baby. You haven't changed much, just got taller and started scowling more."

Ichigo laughed at that. He remembered when his mom used to sit down with him to watch his baby photos. 'If I had known back then, how much everything would change...'

"If you and mom were such good friends, why didn't you come around more often? I didn't see you at her funeral."

"I wanted to, but it would have put her in danger."

"Why would she be in danger?"

Before could continue there was a knock on the basement door. Riruka was the one who opened it. "I figured you two would be down here. I brought the others as you asked."

As she stepped in, Uryu, Chad, and Orihime walked behind her. He was curious as to why Ginjo would want to speak to his friends as well. 'This probably concerns them too... Just what is he going to tell us?"

"Why did you can us Ginjo-San? Is there are a problem." Orihime asked.

"No Inoue, I didn't call you for that. You see I was speaking with Kurosaki about certain events of the past, and I believe they concern all of us. Please make yourselves comfortable. I'll try to be brief but that does not mean you won't have questions by the end of this."

The others looked concerned. Ichigo didn't blame them. The more he heard the more he wanted to turn away and run off. 'I can't this is too important.'

"I was about to tell Kurosaki about my past as Naruki City's substitute shinigami. Twenty-four years ago Fullbringers from all over the world had reunited there, for we have never been big in number. My sister was the one who cared for the small community we lived in. During that time there was also a plan among the shinigami to eradicate the fullbringer population. They sent in one of their best soldiers. Mitsuru Ukitake."

Ichigo noticed Orihime squeak when she heard that name. After the room quiet again, Ginjo continued.

"Mitsuru was meant to discover our secrets and then call a squad to carry out the elimination. However, he had an encounter with one of Anna's hollows and so during that encounter he had to pass his powers onto me. I became a substitute soul reaper and began to train both here and in the Soul Society Academy. When I was ready Captain Jushiro Ukitake handed me a substitute shinigami badge and I kept working as a Soul Reaper until I could give Mitsuru back his powers.

That day didn't come. Mitsuru confessed everything to me and my sister. Hibiki furious, and I was too, but we trusted Mitsuru and got ready to escape with the others.

Unbeknownst to us, the substitute shinigami badge was in actually a spying mechanism. The Soul Society knew of our escape plan and they launched their attack early. They didn't just take out most of the fullbringers, but they managed to kill Masaki's parents too. If I hadn't gotten to her soon, she would have died too.

That was when I met Anna. Apparently, she had managed to turn Mitsuru onto her side, despite the circumstances. Anna took Masaki away to the Ishida household while we tried to save some of the other fullbringers. The mission ended in failure, Mitsuru and Hibiki died. Only a handful of us survived. We then moved to Karakura and tried to use our powers as less as possible. Until now."

Ichigo couldn't wrap his head around it all. He looked at Ishida who was less surprised but still looked terrified.

Chad was also in shock, Orihime looked sad, but she also frantically looked in her bag for something. "Ginjo-San. C-Could this be your sister in this painting?"

She handed Ginjo a paper. The older man smiled sadly at it, nodding. "That's her. Hibiki Ginjo & Mitsuru Ukitake. I tell you they didn't like each other at first, but those two fell hard. Could've sworn they would've gotten married if they hadn't died... Where'd you get this?"

"At Hueco Mundo. Anna had painted many of her old acquaintances, but from what you've told us maybe these are memorials."

"Yes. It's likely. After Anna delivered Masaki to safety she came back to assist me and Mitsuru, but it was too late. She didn't come around again after that."

"That explains it. I'm sorry to hear about your sister. I know what it's like to lose a sibling." Orihime told him.

"I appreciate the sentiment Inoue-San. Now, does anybody have a question?"

The group shook their heads. The only question was made by Orihime. "Why are you siding with us? Don't misunderstand me, I'm happy we have your support but from what you've told us I would've expected you to be on her side."

Ginjo chuckled. "I suppose it seems strange to you. Believe it or not, I still hold Anna in high regard, but that doesn't mean I'm going to let her wreck the city."

"Good point. Thanks for telling us all this Ginjo-San."

"We'll be taking our leave now. See you soon."

* * *

  
Even after they left the room she felt uneasy. The shimmering lights of the club were like a stab in the eyes, and the music was too loud, still, she could hear her friends voices.

"That can't be true. The Soul Society wouldn't kill humans just like that!" Ichigo looked unnerved, and she didn't blame him. They were all still shocked by these revelations, particularly Chad and her.

He didn't need to say anything, Orihime could read the words on his eyes 'What would've happened to us if we had lived in Naruki 20 years ago?'

"They killed the Quincies without much regret. Who's to say this was any different?" Ishida sounded normal, but Orihime could see the calm rage in his eyes.

"That's not what I meant, besides the Quincy extermination happened 200 years ago...Things should have changed by now."

"Sadly they haven't. I hate to say it but there are a lot of dark secrets of Soul Society we have never been aware of. This would explain why they didn't try to contact us further after the war." Chad wasn't usually this cynical, still, the look in his eyes was unsettling.

"Maybe we're jumping to conclusions. It's only been two months after all."

"Two months yet the only reason they sent a squad was to deal with Anna Maria. I'm siding with Sado. I think it's best you do the same Kurosaki."

"So what now? You want us to ignore the others and act all cold? That doesn't seem fair."

"Of course not, I know they're not to blame for this, but think about this way Kurosaki, what would have happened to us if Aizen hadn't been outed as a traitor back when we first went to Soul Society? What about when they called Inoue a traitor after she left for Hueco Mundo?"

"I know those things weren't okay. They pissed me off too, but what else can we do?! Desert just like Anna did?!"

"Nobody is talking about a desertion, Ichigo! We're just saying there has to be more to this than what we're being told. It's not easy siding with anyone in this situation." She felt her head getting heavy again. The afternoon reveal had been enough to bring her down, but this was worst than she could imagine.

"We need to trust the others! This is just what Anna wants. Don't make the same mistake as last time Inoue!"

"Excuse me?"

"You believed our enemies claims without any proof and walked into Hueco Mundo without so much as leaving a trace! Everyone thought you went willingly!"

Everything happened in the blink of an eye. One moment she was frowning at Ichigo's words, the next she had slapped him so hard that the sound echoed in the room. Ishida pulled her away before anything else could happen.

"You've had this coming for a long time! Listen and listen well Ichigo because I'm not going to repeat myself, that night was the worst moment of my whole life! I went with Ulquiorra because it was the only way to keep you safe! I wasn't allowed to fight or even train, Chad was the only one who didn't treat me like a burden! All I could to help was let them take me away, on retrospect I should have told Urahara or Hitsugaya, but I was under threat, you would all get killed if I said anything!

If you want to keep pretending that Soul Society was right about everything and that those massacres were the right answer then be my guest! I'm not going to go around singing them praises after they called me a traitor for trying to help! Then again, you have that in common too!"

She got out of Ishida's grasp and walked away. The table was almost empty now. Ulquiorra was waiting for her.

"Orihime, what's wrong?" He stood up and immediately went to hug her. Orihime let herself melt into his hug.

"Ulquiorra, can we go home?" she told him.

Ulquiorra nodded. He handed her the bag, Kukkapuro was now sleeping soundly inside. "I'll fly us home, is that okay?"

"Yes."

The view was still as beautiful as the first time he carried her through the sky. Orihime could feel Ulquiorra holding a little tighter. 'He knows just how much I need this right now.'

After they got home and changed outfits she sent a message to both Tatsuki and Shizuka, so that they wouldn't worry.

Downstairs Ulquiorra was sitting with Kukkapuro. She could smell popcorn and lemon tea from the kitchen.

"Do you want to talk about it? Or we could watch a film if you'd prefer."

Orihime cuddled up to Ulquiorra and explained everything as best as she could. She gazed at him when she was done, anger visible in his eyes.

"I always thought Lord Aizen exaggerated when he said Kurosaki had a hard head. Now it's clear that it was true."

She chuckled at that. "I can understand why he's skeptical. We've seen that there are plenty of good shinigamis in the Soul Society, some of them even willing to change things for the better. The higher-ups on the other hand..."

"Won't do a thing about it." Ulquiorra finished. "This seems to be a recurring flaw with them. The vizards, arrancar, quincies, bounts, fullbringers even mod souls, it appears they will take down anyone who may pose a threat."

'That includes us.' Orihime tried to shake the thought away, she hugged Ulquiorra tightly, subconsciously trying to soothe her own fear.  
"You are worried about me?" He saw right through her even if she hadn't said anything. Ulquiorra pulled her closer and smiled. "It'll be ok, we will protect each other. No matter what happens."

"I don't know what I would do without you." She gave him a kiss on the cheek, making his pale skin turn red. "Let's watch something cute."

* * *

  
Ulquiorra was relieved that once they were watching the movie she calmed down considerably. It was an animated version of the Beauty and the Beast, apparently Orihime's favorite.

'Of course, she loves it, there's talking furniture.' While the movie was enjoyable Ulquiorra paid more attention to Orihime's expressions. She was smiling through the whole thing, softly singing the songs with Kukkapuro who had joined her with small howls.

When the film ended he felt Orihime immediately cling to him. "Did you like it?" she asked with a huge smile and sparkling eyes.

"I enjoyed it very much. Although the story was familiar." He kissed her hand, and Orihime blushed. "What do you think princess? Have I been freed from my curse?"

"Yes. You have." Orihime snuggled closer to him. She was laying on his chest just like the first time they came home.

'It feels like it was so long ago.' He remembered the orange and yellow tones of the city, and Orihime's smile as she marveled in it all. 'Now I understand why she would miss this place so much.'

"Ulquiorra?" She must've seen the expression on his face.

"I should have told you sooner."

"You could have told me years from now, and I'm sure my answer would have been the same."

He chuckled. "You always say that I'm good at comforting you, I believe the feeling is mutual."

* * *

  
Orihime knew that they had gone to sleep, that they should have been back at their home instead of a grassy field at night.

"Is this another dream of them?"

"I believe so," Ulquiorra answered. As they walked further in the field she noticed a fort in the distance and a figure.

"Anna?"

They walked towards the figure and confirmed her identity. Anna was indeed sitting in the grassy field, looking at the night sky.

She seemed surprised when she saw them, but then her face softened. "I should get around to fixing that stupid dream machine." She stood up, Orihime noticed that unlike the last time she wasn't making any tests or wearing her lab clothes. This time she only had an old-timey long nightgown.

"Neuroscience wasn't your strong point," Ulquiorra told her.

Anna shrugged. "Biology itself was never my strong point. In any case, I'm more interested in knowing why you two appeared here at the same time. Sharing the bed?" her voice had a suggestive tone to it.

Orihime blushed a little. 'This must be what Ulquiorra meant when he said she made dirty jokes.'

"I'm taking that blush as a yes." Anna started walking away. "Given that we're all stuck together here, I say it's as good a time as any... I've completed Cerberus."

"We suspected as much."

Ulquiorra didn't look surprised nor angry, he seemed to have known what Anna would say. He glanced around the scenery.

"This was the fort you brought us to, right?"

Anna nodded. "Yes. It hasn't changed much. Although I missed seeing the young ones rolling downhill on the grass, and the shaved ice vendor was surprised I didn't bring Loly last time I went." Anna seemed to be lost in memories, she shook her head and turned back to her and Ulquiorra. "Is there anything else you might want to know? The next time we meet it'll be at the battle."

She hesitated but asked anyway. "Is it true that the fullbringers were eliminated to near extinction twenty years ago?"

"So you found out...Yes, it's true." With a snap of her fingers, Anna made the fort and field disappear. It was replaced a by a big city with loads of people. The signs and advertisements were all in Japanese, so Orihime assumed they were in Japan now.

"The hollow population is bigger in the Asian continent, particularly here in Japan, thus most fullbringers are born here. The ones who earn their power through spiritual pressure or attachment to objects can be found in together countries too, still, they migrate to Japan to receive training for their power. The shinigami viewed their increase in population as a threat and sent one of their best soldiers to eliminate them completely."

"Mitsuru Ukitake."

"Correct Inoue-Chan, I see both been told everything."

"Most of it, but we want to hear it from you as well," Ulquiorra told her. "That is all we need to put the pieces together.

"Very well, I'll indulge you. What is it that you're missing?"

"How did you get Mitsuru to join you? Considering it was your hollow what ruined his mission it's hard to believe he'd switch sides."

"Actually, he knew the hollow was made with the formulas I created. You see, Mitsuru was a bookworm, a lot like Aizen and I when we were kids. He'd already read about both the good and the bad on Soul Society and when he was given this mission he decided to see for himself what the truth was."

Anna began showing them the events as they occurred using her dominion over this dream dimension. "My hollow jeopardizing his mission was the perfect way of gaining time. Unfortunately, he didn't account for his brother giving Kugo the soul pass as a spying device."

Both Orihime and Ulquiorra saw the group talking. Ginjo looked much younger and his sister was there along with Mitsuru, both of them alive. She spotted the pass, it was exactly like the one that had been given to Ichigo, only this time she saw the small wooden object vibrating ever so slightly whenever anyone in the group spoke. Anna switched the scene. They stood again in the middle of the city. Anna and Mitsuru were talking and shook hands.

"Mitsuru decided to help the fullbringers. He sought me out and asked for my help if anything should happen. Sadly the surprise attack caught them off guard, Ginjo saved Masaki, but it was too late to save her parents." In a flash, the scenery changed. Ginjo and Anna stood in the doorway to a house. After taking a peek Orihime had to look away. Two bloody bodies laid in the middle of the room. After a few seconds, she heard a voice call out.

"Ginjo?" the voice sounded like a young woman, she stepped out of the shadows and Orihime gasped. There was no mistake this was Ichigo's mother. She shared his eye and hair color, along with the same sad smile she once loved. The rest of the details were blurred, she saw Ginjo hug the girl and shove her gently into dream Anna's arms before running away.

The real Anna continued narrating. "I was faster than Ginjo so I had to carry Masaki to the other side of the city, where the Ishida family lived. After I came back the fight had ended and it was too late to save either Mitsuru or Hibiki. The survivors relocated, and there are little to no written records of this event in Soul Society."

The last image she saw was that of Ginjo and Anna both in their shinigami attire. kneeling in front of the bodies of Hibiki and Mitsuru. Ginjo stood up and walked away, dragging his zanpakuto as he walked.

'It all adds up...' Orihime thought with a shiver.

"There's something that I do not understand, why would they try to kill Kurosaki's mother, she was a quincy not a fullbringer." Ulquiorra asked.

"Usually for these missions they send their most 'brute' soldiers. Any threat of any species gets wiped out including surviving quincy."

Orihime was silent. She didn't have any trouble believing it, but part of her wished it was just a lie.

"I think you both need a breather." With a snap of her fingers, Anna transported them a beautiful balcony under a starry night sky, underneath there was nothing but the calming sea. The change of scenery helped ease her pain a little as a mix of confusion and anger clawing at the back of her mind. "Why are you still fighting? Nothing you do will bring them back. Are you just trying to send a message, Anna-San?"

Anna turned towards her. "Partly. To tell you the truth there are times I've wanted to leave everything behind, just run off back to Puerto Rico, or Spain and spend the rest of my days on a beach without a care in the world.

But if I did that, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. The corrupt system of the Soul Society has been this way long before any of us were born. Countless individuals have tried to fight against it, but it has been in vain. Hanabira tried to show the truth, and incite the majority to push for change, that action got her killed. Kakyo wanted to change the system from within, she died before she could even start. Kaname wished to avenge his friend, he's dead, while the man who killed Kakyo still lives without a consequence. Mitsuru tried to stop another massacre from taking place, he failed and perished in the process. If I gave now up, their deaths along with countless others who's names were lost in time would've been all for naught.

If not me, then who? If not now, then when?"

"I can understand why you fight, and what you believe in, but does it justify destroying a town full of innocent people?"

Anna smirked and looked at both her and Ulquiorra. "My darlings, when did I ever say I was going to destroy the town?"

The pair woke up in a flash, Orihime would have fallen off the couch if Ulquiorra hadn't caught her by the waist. She didn't need to say anything, from the look in her eyes Ulquiorra could tell what she was thinking.

"We have to tell Urahara-San."

They ran off in their pajamas towards the shop. Thankfully after two or three knocks, Kisuke opened up. He looked both sleepy and surprised to see them.

"Orihime-Chan, Ulquiorra-San, what are you doing here so late?"

"Urahara-San! It's about Anna!" Orihime still hadn't caught her breathe.

"Slow down, we can talk inside."

Urahara served them tea and waited for them to calm down. "Alright, seeing how you rushed here at 5:00 a.m this must be very important. What is it that you want to tell me?"

Orihime took a deep breath and explained everything at best as possible, she knew it was a strange theory, but the way Anna said it convinced her it had to be true. When she finished she could see Urahara nodding along, most likely thinking about what to do next.

"I see, so Anna has a machine that allows her to enter dreams, and she's used it to tell you her plans don't include attacking Karakura town?"

"I know it sounds strange, but it didn't seem like she was lying."

"I can confirm the veracity of the dream machine, she built it long ago and it has worked countless times."

Orihime squeezed Ulquiorra's hand, thankful for his support. She knew this all sounded silly, especially to someone as intelligent as Urahara. The older shinigami had a calm expression on his face. "I will say that having known Anna since our academy days I can't imagine her doing this sort of thing either. However, after Sosuke's betrayal, we cannot let our guard down around anyone. I'm almost certain that she's trying to take advantage of your kindness.

"Perhaps you're right, but I can't help but feel she's being sincere."

Urahara sighed. "I completely understand, she's good at faking sincerity. Anna has always been a sensitive person, an empath in other words, whatever you want or feel she knows just by looking at you. In any other circumstance, I would agree with you, but this is a master manipulator bent on revenge. We cannot take any chances. I'm sorry."

Orihime forced a smile. "You don't have to apologize Urahara-San. We were the ones who woke you up so early for a theory. We'll be on our way."

The walk back home seemed eternal, the warmth from Ulquiorra's hand was the only thing keeping her awake. "I shouldn't have dragged you into this." she told him.

"Nonsense, I saw everything you did and came to the same conclusion. The shopkeeper is the one who needs a better perspective. I'll support you no matter what, for now, however, we must rest and be ready."

Orihime smiled. "Thank you."

* * *

  
It seemed as if the day had been an endless stream of bad news. Ulquiorra didn't have trouble believing what Anna told them. Having spent centuries under her command he knew she was not as cruel as she liked to project.

'If she doesn't want to destroy the city, what does she want?'

He picked up his phone and decided to send a message. He debated who to contact as he knew the discourse within the group seemed to be increasing as of late. In the end, he sent it to all of them.

'Whether or not they believe us is irrelevant. The truth is that by having the group divided she's already won half the fight.' Ulquiorra looked at Orihime, she was sleeping soundly on the other sofa, a smile across her lovely face. 'Whatever happens, Orihime has to live.' he reminded himself, repeating the words over and over in his mind until he too fell into a deep sleep.


	20. New Year's

**Chapter** **20: New year's**

"It is as you said. I told them everything and the group fell apart almost immediately." Ginjo's voice echoed in the dark office, the only light came from the blue communication pendant.

Anna chuckled. "Of course, it's clear the Kurosaki boy still has strong ties to the Soul Society, the rest of them, however, aren't as biased. It's natural they'd split apart after receiving such information."

Ginjo hummed. "It's a shame really. They are just a bunch of nice kids that got forced into this mess by mistake. I thought that after what happened to me and...the others, they would not involve human teens in their plans anymore."

He heard Anna sigh. "I know, but we cannot allow any casualties to ruin our plans. If we want to stop them from repeating this cycle forever, then we need to win. Failure is not an option."

"Got it. I'll keep an eye out, but for today I'm drinking for three."

"Don't you always?" Anna's cold voice switched to amused. "I'm sure Hibiki and Mitsuru would give you hell for doing this shit every year."

"It's probably why I do it. I'll see you soon, get some sleep nerdy girl."

"Same goes to you pudgy."

The communicator stopped glowing and the room went dark. Instead of turning on the light, Ginjo placed a few candles in front of a shrine that held two photos.

"Happy new year fools."

Afterwards, he raised a glass of wine and began drinking.

***  
"Do you think they'll be up by now? I really don't want to wake them." Orihime said as she clutched the boxes of pastries in her hands.

"According to Chad, they all wake up early. It's almost 10 so I'm sure it's ok."

Ulquiorra remained quiet. He hadn't been able to sleep well after yesterday's incident, so when Orihime suggested baking goodies for their fullbringer friends he didn't refuse. Cooking often helped take his mind off things, he'd never thought he'd grow to enjoy it so much, it was probably Orihime's influence that turned it into something so dear to him.

Along the way they ran into Shizuka who was heading for the club as well, and now they were spending their morning with the fullbringer group.

"Good morning everybody!" Shizuka announced after they walked in.

To his surprise, everyone was already awake. The only person he didn't see was Ginjo, he assumed the fullbringer leader was probably training.

"Hey you three. Seems like everyone wanted to stop by today. Sado has been down training for almost two hours." Jackie was sitting at the bar beside Riruka and Yukio

"That's a funny coincidence, but we're not here to train. Ulquiorra and I were baking this morning and thought you guys might want some goodies."

"That's sweet of you, sit anywhere you like we have the place to ourselves. Hey, Giriko is breakfast ready yet?"

"It'll be ready in a moment Ms Tristan. Shall our guests be eating too?"

"Yeah, and set a plate for Chad too. Boy needs to eat. Shizuka can you go fetch him? I'm sure he's still on 'training all day' mode"

"Sure. I'll be right back."

After Shziuka left he noticed that Orihime was yawning. She had looked a little sleepy back at home but it was starting to show. "Guess we both had bad sleep tonight."

"Too busy doing other things?" Yukio said without looking up from his game. The comment earned him a smack behind the head from Riruka.

"It wasn't that type of thing. We both had nightmares yesterday."

"After what Ginjo told ya it's a miracle anyone got to sleep."

"Were you there when... All of it happened?" Ulquiorra asked.

Jackie nodded. "Yeah. I was born in Colombia but after my family was killed I decided to come here to perfect my powers. I met Ginjo and his sister, and the shinigami boy we were all friends. The night that it happened, all I could do was hide as many people as possible and wait for it to end. Ginjo wouldn't let me or Giriko-San intervene...He came back a different person.

The tan woman's voice wavered slightly at that last part. He knew that what Anna had shown them wasn't an exaggeration, this was the confirmation he needed.

"It was a most disturbing event to have witnessed. Perhaps more so to normal humans, to have a loved one vanish without a trace, it would be eerie at the very least. Thankfully we survived. In all my years I've yet to relieve such terror as that night, it is a blessing you kids didn't had to live through it as well."

Giriko didn't seem too affected speaking about the event, probably because he was older than the rest of the group. He set the trays with food for Jackie to hand them out and then retreated back to the kitchen.

The mere thought that Orihime and his other friends could've been caught in that crossfire was unnerving. He felt Orihime wrapping her hand around his as if to reassure him. He knew she was also angry and perhaps even scared, still, she tried to make him feel better.

He kissed her forehead and Orihime giggled. "What was that for?"

"I just felt like it."

***  
From the second she stepped into the room Shizuka could feel the rising spiritual pressure.

Yukio seemed to have set up a room with many robotic dummy enemies to defeat. At the center she saw Chad. He looked exhausted as if he had fought for hours.

'Great just my luck he's tired, he's cute and he has no shirt. I probably look like an apple right now!' Shizuka tried to calm herself down as she walked towards him. "Morning Chad, been up since early?"

He smiled at her and nodded. "Morning Shizuka. Yes I have been here since dawn. After yesterday's incident I thought it would be best to train some more."

She didn't want to think about last night, or the chaos that unfolded. Ishida had told her everything, Orihime had left before they could talk, Ichigo hadn't even answered her calls,and now Chad looked like he was on the verge of exhaustion.

"Maybe you should call it quits for today. Giriko-San made breakfast so let's go up an eat."

"You can go on ahead. I'll train for a little while longer."

"Chad you been here for hours, and you haven't eaten anything since last night. Let's just go with the others."

"I said I'm fine!"

His loud voice caught her off guard for a moment, but she knew this wasn't him.

"Sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you."   
  


Chad sat down, his back leaning against the wall. Shizuka sat down beside him, placing a hand on his back.

"I know you didn't mean it. You can talk to me if you want."

"It's just... I've always felt like the expandable member of the group. Uryu and Ichigo have always been stronger and Orihime's healing powers have gotten us out of danger on numerous occasions, not to mention she's getting really good at offensive too.

It's as if every time we fight against an enemy I'm not even there, because they're the ones doing the heavy lifting."

"Are you kidding? Chad you took down a freaking Arrancar! That's something that takes years for captains to achieve! Your powers might not be those of a shinigami or a quincy but they are amazing. You're always taking care of people, even when I first came here you were willing to lend me a hand. I won't forget that. And I know our friends won't forget how hard you work to make them happy." Shizuka hadn't noticed when she took his hand, he didn't pull away either.

He smiled at her, that cute goofy smile she liked so much. Shizuka couldn't help but return the gesture.

"Thank you Shizuka-San. Being able to rely on you is very reassuring, I'm glad we're friends."

"Me too. Now c'mon big guy, you need a bath before breakfast."

"Is that an invitation for us to shower together?"

Once again Shizuka went red from head to toe. "T-That's not what I meant!"

Chad laughed. "I know, it's fun to tease you."

"Why you! Stop fooling around!" She gave him a small smack on the shoulder, but Chad kept on laughing.

'I'm going to miss you so much.'

***  
"Yummy! I can't eat another bite." Orihime shoved her plate aside, as she patted her full tummy.

"I'll give the chef your compliments then. It's getting late, I should wake up the boss."

Before Jackie could stand up they all heard a noise coming from the hall. Ginjo was tumbling around a bottle of wine on each hand "Huh? Everyone's awake already?"

"Seriously Ginjo?! Do you have to do the same every new years eve?!"

"We should be used to it by now. I say just throw some water at him and call it quits." Riruka reached for another doughnut. Orihime made a note to bring her more treats, as she liked these so much.

"C'mon Ginjo, just get up and eat a doughnut."

Jackie dragged Ginjo to to one of the tables and out a plate in front of him. "Eat when you're sure you won't throw up!"

He nodded and from what she could see he fell asleep. Riruka chuckled. "That's a new record. Sorry you two had to see that. I'm sure it's a miracle this dummy hasn't died from alcohol poisoning yet."

"It's okay. Holiday's can get really sad when you start missing your family."

Her brother's smile came to mind. He used to take her out for ramen and at night they'd see the fireworks.

"I can understand him in that sense. Back in Colombia, I used to live with father and two little brothers. Their absence really hits me during the holidays."

"I left home a long time ago too, sometimes I miss my family as well."

"Why don't we all gather tonight? I reckon that since everyone here has suffered a loss of friends and family we could spend the evening together."

"That's a good idea Ulquiorra. If I remember correctly there's a fireworks show at midnight. We can all watch it together." Shizuka came in at last, she sat down to eat. "Chad will be here in a sec. Dude needed a bath."

"Surprised you didn't join in."

"Shut up Yukio! You have crushes on your video game characters!"

Yukio started laughing. "That's cold, well played."

Chad joined the group shortly after. Since everyone was done eating they all headed their separate ways.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Chad asked.

"We should take it easy, maybe visit Tatsuki-Chan? She did ask us to go see her sometime."

"Right, I'm sure she's sick of being on babysitting duty. Okay, let's pay her a visit."

***  
For many years Ulquiorra thought that the Espada meetings were the most deafening event he had to attend.

Said experience was replaced as they entered Arisawa's house. Apparently, the girl had a big family who was very noisy. It was not unpleasant, somehow it felt like a warm and inviting environment.

"Thank goodness, you guys are here! If I'm forced to look over Miyu for one more instant I will break a wall!

Orihime laughed and hugged her friend. "There there. We'll help you with the babysitting."

While Chad and Shizuka took to the kitchen to cook lunch with the other relatives, while Ulquiorra and Orihime sat down in the living room with the baby.

He stared with fascination at the tiny human. Nobody in Hueco Mundo had any children and the youngest member of their ranks had been Lilinette, so the sight of such a tiny defenseless human was somewhat strange.

"She's so small." He commented.

Orihime nodded. "That's why she needs lots of care. I've always found it fascinating how we start out so tiny and clueless and then become our own person with different desires and strengths. It's such a wonderful process."

Orihime smiled as she gently cradled the baby. Her eyes had a sparkle of happiness in them whenever she was near small children. At first, he thought it was because she had a childlike and curious personality, but a while ago she had told him that aside from her dream of being an astronaut she also wanted to be a teacher and a baker.

'Only a mind like her would want to try so many professions. Although she does have a way with children.'

"Ulquiorra, do you want to hold her?"

He instinctively tensed. He didn't know what to do, how to hold the child or if his very presence would startle it.

However, all of that changed when the baby smiled at him and held out her tiny hands.

"I will pick her up, but only if you teach me how ."

Orihime nodded. She passed the baby to Ulquiorra, simultaneously showing him how to hold her. "There you go. Miyu seems to like you."

The baby laughed and gripped one of Ulquiorra's locks of hair. She pulled it softly, probably out of curiosity.

"I see you like my hair, Miyu. I do not know why a tiny human would be so interested in it."

This time both Orihime and the baby giggled. He gently cradled her, trying to imitate what Orihime did before. The baby let out a small cry and began sucking on her thumb.

"I'll go get her bottle. Be right back."

***  
"Hey, how's baby duty going?" Tatsuki was in the kitchen helping make the food. She handed Orihime a baby bottle, knowing it was Miyu's lunchtime.

"Miyu is so sweet! You should've seen Ulquiorra holding her. It's the cutest thing I've ever seen!"

Tatsuki chuckled. "Geez, you're even blushing. We'll have to take pictures of that. C'mon let's rescue your boyfriend from Miyu's mini teeth."

They both peeked from the kitchen doorway to the living room, to their surprise Miyu was quietly looking at Ulquiorra.

"You see little one, life as a human may not be as difficult as what we've all endured, but it will be challenging and you will have to make lots of choices. I hope you're happy with the ones you make, as I am happy with mine."

Baby Miyu cooed in understanding. Still looking directly into Ulquiorra's eyes as he spoke.

Tatsuki gestured for Orihime to go to them, she had her phone ready on camera. Orihime smiled and nodded. She walked over to Ulquiorra and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He was startled but smiled when he saw her.

"That was lovely. Good to know you have a talent for kids."

He chuckled. "Perhaps one day I'll be holding our own child."

The thought was sudden, but Orihime likes imagining it. 'Maybe in a few years, if we survive.' She pushed the thought away. 'We will survive.'

When Miyu was fed and asleep they all had lunch with Tatsuki's family. She'd done this so many times it almost felt like they were her family too. The rest of the group seemed to be having fun, especially Ulquiorra.

Upon learning that he was Orihime's boyfriend Tatsuki's mother went in for a hug and treated him like another one of her teenage daughter pals. Orihime thought he'd be angry but he liked the positive attention, even if it included cheek pinching.

"I'm so stuffed. Aunt Sue needs to cut back on the turkey."

Tatsuki's comment caused echoes of giggles across the room. Orihime looked at Shizuka who had fallen asleep on Tatsuki's lap. Chad and Ulquiorra seemed to be busy talking to each other, it was good to see him forming bonds with other people.

"Hey Orihime-Chan. Do you know how the others are doing? In regards to...you know."

"Yesterday's fiasco? I'm not sure. Uryu hasn't texted me back yet, Chad seems calmer now, and I don't plan to call or talk to Ichigo."

Tatsuki sighed. "I didn't there'd come a day when you would say that. Although he kinda earned it, that slap left a mark."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I had to put a bag of ice on his cheek. Uryu wasn't too pleased by Ichigo's word choice or his disregard for what happened to the quincy side of his family. I think the only ones still talking to him are Chad and me." Tatsuki sat up and looked her in the eyes. "Inoue, I know that part of the problems started with the mess between the three of us, and while you've already forgiven me I still feel like I need to apologize. Had it not been for this first fight maybe you and Ichigo would be in better terms right now."

"I appreciate it Tatsuki-Chan, but even if we hadn't fought before I would still be livid at Ichigo. Don't get me wrong, if push comes to shove I would do anything to protect him, yet there are things I cannot overlook. Besides this divide might not have started if I hadn't kept things from you."

"You were just trying to keep me safe. I mean, from all I've heard so far, who's to say we wouldn't have gotten executed if you told us the truth."

The mere thought made her shiver. Seeing how the quincy and fullbringers were mostly human and still got killed, there was a high chance Tatsuki and her other classmates could have ended up just the same.

"In any case, I'm glad we've sorted that out. I know that Ichigo's didn't mean to come across the way he did, he has a lot of people in Soul Society that he loves and misses, as well as I do. Still, this stressful situation and the loss of his powers don't excuse him being a jerk to us. He needs to dial back on the hero complex, and either trust us to do the job or demand his trusted Soul Soceity to help him recover his powers."

"Let's just hope his family knocks some sense into him. If anyone can help him now it's them."

"Agreed."

***  
"Ichi-nii! Are you gonna spend all day sleeping?!" Karin's could be heard behind the door as she banged on it loudly.

"I'm not sleeping Karin. You can come in."

The girl walked into the room only to be greeted by Ichigo still in his pajamas and wrapped up like a blanket burrito.

"Geez, don't let Yuzu see you like this. She'd lose it."

Ichigo nodded silently. Seeing how she wasn't making progress just by talking Karin sat down beside her brother.

"What is it now? Another evil Soul Reaper, or maybe you got into a fight? Because that handprint mark on your cheek looks like you got beat."

Karin softly touched her brother's cheek and he chuckled.

"Would you believe me if I told you the one who left that mark was Inoue-San?"

"What?! Plushie loving, flower child Inoue-San smacked you?! Ichigo what did you do?"

He told her everything, not leaving out a single detail. Karin waited for him to finish.

"Well...that's fucked up."

"Language."

"C'mon Ichi-nii you sound like Yuzu. Look, I'm not into this ghost thing. It's always been bugging me since it first appeared and to be honest with you I hated it when you had run off and go save everyone...but  I know how much you liked helping others, whether it was us or a complete stranger.

I know that you miss it. Being able to fight, having to rely on the others this time, but that doesn't mean you can look down upon them. I like your friends and they're all very concerned about you, don't push them away just because of what you've learned.

As for the Soul Society, I can't say. I haven't been there, but Toshiro and his lieutenant are nice enough, so perhaps there are lots of good people working to make things better. That doesn't mean there are no horrible people there as well too. When we were young I used to wonder why we never met mom's parents...maybe it was best we never found out. Whatever you choose to do or believe we support you ok? Don't forget that."

Ichigo smiled and gave his little sister a hug. "Thank you, Karin. I really needed to hear that."

"No problem, now get off me Ichigo I don't like hugs!"

"Hey! You're having a group hug without me!"

From the door, he could see Yuzu in her harpoon with her arms crossed. Ichigo smiled and gestured at her to come in, pulling her into the hug.

"You better get downstairs fast. Dad is going to eat all of the potatoes if you keep him waiting.

"In a minute. I just missed being around you two."

Both girls were surprised by their brother's words, but they smiled and hugged him once again.

"We missed you too."

***  
"I cannot wait for winter to be over. Snow may be beautiful, but I think we've had enough for the year."

"Perhaps, although it's not as cold as Hueco Mundo."

Ulquiorra went away on a walk with Chad while the girls were trying on kimonos. Ulquiorra still didn't understand why the girls enjoyed trying on clothes so much, but as long as Orihime was having fun he wouldn't mind waiting.

What he found strange however was the fact that Chad had asked him to go for a walk without the others coming along.

"Is there a particular reason why you asked me to join you in a walk?"

Chad nodded. "I wanted to discuss something with you. It's about Shizuka."

So that was it. From the start, he could tell those two seemed to like each other, but he wondered why Chad would want to talk to him, especially with his lack of romantic experience.

"We are planning to stop her forced wedding."

Ulquiorra was momentarily shocked, as Chad had never been one for reckless plans. Still, he understood. If Orihime had been caught in a situation like that he would be the first to rush in and rescue her.

"Who else is aware of the plan?" He asked.

"Only you and Ishida. I will tell the others eventually."

He nodded. Of course, after the disastrous fight, the group had yesterday the last thing they needed was to plan a break in together.

"There is one complication for us going through with this. The accords Inoue and I agreed with binds all of us into complete obedience to the shinigami or else all the Espadas and possibly Inoue are at risk of death.

I cannot break the accords, but I will make sure to help you and the others with everything I can. Shizuka is my friend and she doesn't deserve what's going to happen if we don't step in."

"Thank you, I knew I could count on you."

They remained quiet, watching the snow fall before heading back to Tatsuki's.

***  
After spending most of the day with Tatsuki and her family Orihime felt as if her energy had somehow been restored.

'It truly has been a long time.' She made a note to go see them again soon.

"Woman, the iron is on."

Orihime jumped when she realized she hadn't been paying attention to the kimono she was ironing. Thankfully it didn't have any burn marks.

"Whoops! I really need to stop spacing out. Are you sure you don't want to wear a kimono?" She asked.

Ulquiorra shook his head. "No thank you. I'd rather keep the winter clothes, I'm not too fond of the cold."

"Got used to being warm and toasty."

"Yes. You've spoiled me."

She laughed and gave Ulquiorra a hug. After putting a collar and leash on Kukkapuro the two prepared to leave.

Tonight the city was full of people, some of them on winter clothes and others on kimonos. The lamp posts and cables were adorned with multicolor Christmas lights and everywhere.

The group was already waiting for them in front of the club. They had set up some of the chairs and tables from the club outside.

"Hey everyone! Seems like we were last to arrive."

"That's okay, we have all night to celebrate. I think Jackie is done with the food. You guys mind helping me out?"

"Okay."

The scent of yakitori and rice that came from the kitchen was divine. Jackie smiled as she finished serving.  
  


"Okay, I think I'm done. You guys want to taste?"

She handed them each a piece of the spiced chicken. It was really tasty and salty.

"It's so good. I'm envious, you Latina ladies don't even measure the spices, you just throw a bit on the pot and it works each time."

Jackie chuckled. "We'll most of us learn to cook watching our relatives, guess no one cared to start measuring and we kept imitating."

"Makes sense. Where's the boss? Hungover?"

"A little. He likes to stay up all night on New Year's so he must be napping upstairs. I'll go wake him later."

"Wake him or join him. You two have the habit of being cuddly sleepers." Giriko came through the kitchen door with a cheeky grin on his face.

"Oh hush Giriko, just help us with the trays!"

After getting everything outside the group scattered off to their own tables and ate. From the distance, they could see fireworks in the night sky.

"They'll play the best ones at midnight." She told Ulquiorra, who was still mesmerized by the fireworks.

"I'm looking forward to it. I'll restock the table so we don't have to get up when the show starts." She watched as he left, happy that he was enjoying himself so much.

"I'mm surprised the pup isn't bothered by the noise." Riruka looked at Kukkapuro who was happily sitting on the table waving his tail and looking at the sky.

"He's been through a lot already. I think noise no longer concerns him. Do you want to pet him?"

Riruka's eyes widened. "How'd you know?"

"You look like a person who likes dogs. Just pick him and he'll cuddle up to you."

Riruka nodded and did as she was told. Kukkapuro seemed to like this newfound attention, as he licked Riruka's face while the girl laughed.

"He's so sweet... I'm sure mom would love him."

"Your mom?" From what they discussed during the morning she assumed that Riruka's family had also passed away.

The pink haired girl shook her head. "Yeah. Unlike Jackie, Yukio or Giriko my family still lives. I had to run away from home when I discovered my powers... I wanted to go back but, I think it's too late. They wouldn't forgive me anyway..."

Orihime took Riruka's hand."It's okay to be scared. When I first got my powers I was also scared, but with time I got better and thanks to you and my other teachers I been perfecting them. Perhaps it'll be hard at first, still, I'm sure that your family misses you very much and will be glad to see you again. I know I would give everything to see my brother again, to live the life we wanted. So don't give up on them Riruka-San. I'll go with you if I have to."

Riruka laughed with tears in her eyes. "You're too nice for your own good."

They stood up to get a better view of the fireworks, both silently standing next to each other.

"Inoue."

"Yes?"

"Be careful...when you fight with Anna I mean. Be very careful."

She found it odd that Riruka would tell her that, still she nodded. "Sure. I'll be careful. We'll all be ok. I promise."

Riruka clenched her fist but she smiled and nodded. "Ok."

"The fireworks show is gonna start soon! Let's move!" Shizuka motioned for everyone to move at the best viewing spot.

For once Yukio had put away his gaming console and was sitting on Chad's shoulders beside Shizuka and Giriko. Ginjo had woken up and was standing next to Jackie with his arm around her waist. Riruka was smiling and her uneasy mood seemed to be gone. Ulquiorra soon stood beside her and took her hand.

"One minute left until midnight." He said. "How is that you humans find so many things to celebrate or get happy over?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure. I guess we know that time is fleeting, and try to enjoy it as much as possible. Joy is contagious after all."

"Yes, it is."

There were seconds left, everyone counted down in unison and by the time they said zero the sky was filled with brilliant lights of every color of the rainbow. She could hear the celebration and cheering of people all the way down the street.

Orihime's eyes found their way back to Ulquiorra's. He looked at the fireworks almost with childlike innocence. It brought her back to the words he said to her before they left the house. 'You've spoiled me.'

Perhaps she had. As he didn't look like the cold and calculating man that she first met. Even his pale skin wasn't too cold to the touch anymore.

He looked at her, still smiling. "I don't think this year ended as I imagined, but I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Me neither." She said before giving him a kiss on the cheek and a hug. "I'm so happy to have you."

"The feeling is mutual. Thank you, for making me so happy."

The two stayed like that for a while. Orihime made her new years wish then and there. 'I wish we continue to be this happy together, for as long we have left.'


	21. At Last

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: At long last, I am done! One more chapter after this and Part one is finally finished. I'll likely have it out before the month ends should no inconveniences arise \\. As always I hope you all enjoy, and Thanks for reading!
> 
> © Bleach and it's characters don't belong to me, they belong to Tite Kubo and Shounen Jump. Only Shizuka and Anna Maria belong to me.

**Chapter 21: At Last**

The year had begun with rain as opposed to the snow he'd grown used to. Ulquiorra carefully placed the last tray of the day in the oven, now that the bakery was closed all that was left to do was clean.

Sometimes he could not believe the radical change his life had undergone. From a nihilistic warrior to a seemingly normal man with a lovely girlfriend and pet, nobody would believe him if he told them. Still, the shadow from the past crept up behind him, for lately more hollows had been flocking to Karakura. He knew Anna was going to come here soon.

"Hey Ulquiorra, have you seen Ms. Chiyo? I can't find her anywhere." Orihime was walking around the cafe area looking for their boss.

"If I'm not mistaken, she said she was going to get some flour and cream from the storage room."

"That was almost ten minutes ago..." They rushed to the storage only to find the old woman passed out in the middle of the room.

"Chiyo-San!" Orihime rushed to the woman's age and checked her pulse. "It's unstable! Call an ambulance!"

While he made the call to the Ishida hospital he noticed Orihime using her power to heal Chiyo. They left with her as she was taken to the hospital and waited for their boss to awake.

"It seems she had a minor stroke. Not the first time it has happened, according to her medical records she's been here three times before." Ishida explained the situation trying to look calm, but visibly upset. "I fear she won't withstand another one."

"Thanks for letting us know Ishida-Kun. We'll wait for a bit to see if she wakes up."

Ishida nodded and left the room. Just as the two finally sat down to wait they noticed that Chiyo was waking up.

"Wha- Where am I?"

"Chiyo-San! We were so worried. You had a small stroke back at the bakery, we had to bring you to the hospital."

"Oh. No wonder my head feels a little heavy...Anyway, I'm glad you two were there. Thanks for helping me."

"Forgive me if this feels invasive but shouldn't warn your family about this?"

The old woman chuckled. "Oh Ulquiorra-Kun, I'm afraid that's not possible. My husband passed away two years ago, we never had kids and we were both from the foster system. I guess you could say he was my only family."

"I'm sorry, perhaps I shouldn't have asked. Although that sounds like quite a romantic story."

The old woman smiled. "It was."

"Can you tell us about it?" Orihime asked.

"Of course. It's not often I get to talk about him. Let's see, we were friends since our toddler days at the orphanage, we were never adopted so when we turned eighteen we left together and started looking for jobs, anything we could find was ok, and soon we bought our own house. Eventually, we came across what would become ABCookie. That building was a dump during the 40's, took a lot of work to make it what it is today. In the end, that little bakery became our legacy, our employees were like our children, and we stayed that way all this year's until he left this world."

The story made him think of what awaited him and Orihime should they survive. Growing old together sounded very sweet, even if the end would be bitter.

"To tell you the truth. The reason why I hired you two it's because you remind me of me and Keichi in our youth. A young couple looking for work, a quiet boy and a bubbly lady, the resemblance is uncanny, to say the least."

That earned a giggle from Orihime. "I suppose history repeats itself then." Anyone could notice that she'd been crying, back at the ambulance and now after hearing Chiyo's story. Before he could do anything the older woman pulled Orihime into a hug.

"Oh sweetie, don't cry like that, it breaks my heart seeing you sad. I'm sure Ulquiorra hates to see those tears too."

She looked at him with a smile and held out her hand. He took it and hugged her alongside Chiyo.

"This isn't just about today's problem, isn't it? You too have been looking a little gloomy for a while. Is there something wrong?"

What could he tell her? That they were not normal humans and were on the verge of battle with a shinigami? Or that the history of their 'allies' was far bloodier than expected? He took a breath before trying to put everything into words.

"Things have gotten complicated in our friend group, and some problems from the past have risen again. We'll be fine as soon as it's over."

Chiyo nodded after he explained. "I can't be sure if what you're facing is any similar to what my trials were, but I can tell you one thing. What matters it's what you chose to do. Nobody else can fight for you, friends, family, allies, they don't factor here. Just chose what you want to do. It's the most important thing to remember if you want to live as long as I have."

It made sense. Whatever happened his priority was Orihime's safety, nothing would change that. "I shall take your advice, after all, we have been protecting each other for a while now."

Orihime's grip tightened slightly. He kissed her hand and she smiled. Silently telling him that she wouldn't have this any other way.

***  
They stayed with Chiyo until visiting hours were over, by then the old woman had fallen asleep. Orihime couldn't help but feel a little sad for her boss. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to live her entire life with somebody only to lose them so suddenly.

'I'll come to see here every day.'

"You seem distracted woman, is this about Chiyo?"

"A little. I'm concerned, she must feel lonely without her husband."

"That's true, but we'll visit her and make sure she gets proper company. Once we inform the rest of the employees it's likely she'll be sick of us all."

That made her chuckle. "Maybe. I don't think she would mind."

They walked in silence for a little while, the red sunset soon faded into night, after a nice dinner with Kukkapuro they both decided to rest on the couch for a while.

Ulquiorra was even more quiet than usual, absentmindedly running his fingers through her hair. She waited for him to speak once he was ready, as if reading her mind he began talking.

"Mrs. Chiyo's story... It made think about how fragile human life is. A century here seems so long, and yet in Hueco Mundo, they slipped like sand through my fingers. I was never afraid of the passing of time, until now. Where I have so much to lose with every day that passes." As he said that he pulled her close to him.

Orihime returned the embrace. "I know what you mean. I've felt that way too. There's nothing we can do against the passing of time, I can't stop getting older and I am not sure if you can try to age." Ulquiorra laughed softly at that last comment. "I can only take comfort in the fact that we'll be together for as long as we have left. Not even mortality will separate us, we're bound to meet again in every lifetime regardless of what may happen."

His grip seemed to ease a little. "I still owe you three more lifetimes."

"Yes. And I'm going chase you down in all of them if I have to."

The night turned cold all of the sudden, the wind began to howl and the room felt heavy. Ulquiorra sat up abruptly. His entire expression dripping with dread. "She's coming. We need to get ready."

Orihime swallowed hard and nodded. At last, everything was going to end tonight.

***  
"Damn this to hell and back!" Shizuka yelled as she shut her laptop down."

"What is wrong my pupil?" Kannoji peeked from behind her. "Is it trouble regarding the impending battle?"

"Somewhat...Can I tell you something, Misao- Sensei?"

Seeing how the girl used his real name instead of the Don Kannoji persona he became more serious. "Yes, of course."

"I don't think Anna will destroy the town. From what Orihime and Ulquiorra told me, she seems to have other plans. I just don't know what they are, or if anyone will believe me if I told them."

"Why wouldn't they? You're the shinigami of Karakura, and the apprentice of Don Kannoji!"

She chuckled.."Perhaps, but Anna was my adopted sister for so many years... They'll think I'm biased."

"I say this makes you the best person to tell them about her! You know our enemy, better than any of us. Use that power, my student. If they don't believe you then that'll be their problem. You have done your part well.

Our duty is to protect the town, the people living in it, everything that matters and we must do it be any means necessary!"

"Thank you, I really needed to hear that Kannonji-Sensei."

"No problem my pupil! I can tell you kids are all far more experienced when dealing with spiritual matters, but if you ever need a pat on the back I'm your guy!"

Before they could talk more the pair heard a crashing noise coming from the backyard.

"That better be just training."

The backyard was covered in ice. She noticed Hitsugaya was in his Bankai state and Rangiku was trying to calm him down. Upon closer inspection, she saw why he had gone into Bankai.

Inside the blocks, Rose and Gin were frozen solid. Shizuka rolled her eyes. "Fighting again?"

"Yep. This is the third time this week." Momo sighed and used her shikai to melt the ice into pieces. "I'll take Gin, can you deal with Captain Otoribashi?"

Shizuka nodded. She helped Rose up and then promptly dragged him into the house by the ear. This fights amongst the group weren't uncommon. While most of the time things went by smoothly, the tension left over from the Winter War was ever-changing. 'Worst of all, I can't bring myself to pick a side.'

"What the hell? Why do you two have to act like two toddlers? I'm pissed at Gin too and you don't see me throwing hands with him!"

Just as Rose was about to answer Kira and Uryu rushed through the door. "She's going to get here soon."

"Are you sure?" Shizuka didn't need to ask who it was.

"Yes. We were training near Urahara's shop, he confirmed our suspicions." Uryu answered. "Everyone must get into position!"

"Right! Rangiku, Gin, we have to go!"

The group rushed out the door and scattered into the night. As they ran Shizuka texted her other friends, praying they wouldn't be in danger.

'It's now or never.'

***  
"Funny. I didn't expect you to be sleeping during an attack."

Ichigo awoke to the sound of an unfamiliar voice. 'It can't be...'  
At the center of the dark room, stood a figure, he already knew who it was.

"Anna Maria?"

"Correct Kurosaki-San! Nice to finally meet you, well in dreams at least."

"I have no intention of listening to what you have to say. You might as well not bother."

"Such a rude boy!" She whiles sarcastically. "I can't understand why Sosuke thought you'd be more inclined to listen. Even after finding out what happened to your family you still side with them."

"What makes you think you're any better?"

"That I don't have a body count that includes all of the quincy, bounts and mod souls, that I tried to save the fullbringers they killed, that I don't let children starve while the four noble families waste resources on opulent trinkets. That I actually give a damn about what happens to the good people of the Soul Society.

You don't have to take my word for it. Ask Rangiku or Gin if they didn't almost starve to death as kids, while the Kuchikis and the Tsunayashiro's have clothes that cost more than an entire mansion. Ask Captain Ukitake about the fullbringer purge, or Project Spearhead. Better yet, ask yourself why they haven't tried to contact you?  
Had it not been for your power and Urahara's plan, Sosuke would be Soul King. Still, they seem to have forgotten their precious savior. Wouldn't you agree, Kurosaki-San?"

He wasn't mad because of what she said, but rather because there was some truth to it. He let out a sigh and faced her directly, his brown gaze against her blue.

"I cannot side by someone who's going to destroy everything and everyone I want to protect."

She chuckled. "I'll tell you what I told Orihime-Chan. I am not going to destroy Karakura."

"You're lying."

"Believe what you want. I have done my part in warning you. Although I would recommend you wake up now, it's not safe to sleep before an earthquake."

Those were the last words Anna told him. Ichigo awoke in his room, the ground was shaking slightly under his feet. 'So that's what she meant.' He carefully rushed out of the room, looking for the twins. They were huddled under the table in the kitchen.

"Ichi-Nii!" Yuzu scared voice felt like a stab. He shielded his sisters until the earthquake stopped.

"Where's dad?" He looked around, there was no sign of Isshin anywhere.

"He left for the Urahara Shop a while ago."

It made sense given that their father still had his powers, knowing that the most important thing at the moment was the girl's safety Ichigo helped them up and decided to head for the evacuation zone.

'The others have to win.'

***  
From the second he felt the ground rumbling Chad knew it was time. Shizuka's message only confirmed the severity of the situation. He got out of the training room, almost tripping on the stairs with how fast he was going.

He reached the door to Ginjo's office and was about to knock until he heard her voice.

"I shall be there shortly. You know what you have to do, be careful and don't let anyone die."

"I know Anna, everything is ready for us to proceed. Make sure they can't tell what you're truly after. Otherwise, it's likely it all ends here."

Anna chuckled. "It won't, that I can swear. See you on the battlefield, Kugo."

'It can't be, they can't be working with Anna...' Chad knew he had to make sure what he heard was true. The door was slightly ajar, he could see Ginjo sitting in his desk, talking into a pendant communicator.

There was no mistake, it was one of Anna's communicators. Chad took a closer look, Jackie and Yukio were also in the room, the latter seemed to be typing away in one of his consoles.

He knew he had to warn the others. He quickly wrote Shizuka a message as he ran towards the door, but he couldn't make it.

Merely steps away from the entrance, Chad felt a sharp a pain on his chest. He looked down to see a blade had pierced him, spilling blood all over the polished floor. He turned around to look at his aggressor.

Giriko met his gaze. Instead of looking like the calm bartender he usually portrayed this version of him looked more intimidating, his single eye was bright with anger while his lips curled into a mischievous smirk.

"I am afraid you're not allowed to leave Sado-San. I don't think master Ginjo would appreciate it if you were to ruin our plans."

Chad tried to speak, but his mouth was flooded with blood, instead of words all that left his lips was a cascade of crimson.

"Giriko, everything is ready." Riruka came into the room slightly shaken by the scene in front of her.

"Ah, those are good news. I'll leave this matter to you Ms. Riruka, as I am sure we need our masquerade to continue for a bit longer."

The girl nodded. "Good luck." she muttered softly to the man who began walking away.

Before he blacked out, all Chad could see was Riruka kneeling towards him.

***  
It was a well-known fact that Orihime Inoue absolutely detested surrealism. For all her love of space creatures and wacky scenarios, the idea of reality being bent by an abnormal horror wasn't something she'd fancied.

Sadly for that's what she was experiencing, after the cold air, and small earthquake subsided she went outside the house with Ulquiorra. The stars and moon had been hidden by massive rain clouds, she could tell these were not normal clouds. Next, an ear piercing alarm echoed around them. Cerberus was finally here.

They rushed to the center of the city, where the pressure was most noticeable. Upon arrival, they could see Urahara, Yoruichi, Isshin, Uryu, and Shizuka. The group didn't look away as a massive crack appeared in the sky, from it a gigantic pitch black dog with yellow eyes emerged.

Orihime was confused given that they all had assumed Cerberus would have three heads. She didn't have time to process anything else, because atop the dog's head Anna was sitting down, smiling at them.

"How nice! You were all patiently waiting for me, I am touched!"

Nobody responded. Anna shrugged and stood up. "Well then, we're not here to catch up. Whenever you're ready darlings..."

Orihime turned towards Ulquiorra, he looked at her too. They pressed their foreheads together as the rain began to fall again.

"No matter what, stay alive." She told him.

"Likewise." His fingers gently cupped her chin. As if he was trying to memorize the feeling.

Urahara pulled out his sword and stabbed the ground. Seemingly activating the trap. Its red glow was warm and felt like a small shock of electricity against her skin.

Cerberus and Anna seemed unfazed by it. 'How?! This is supposed to be the trap's strongest point!' Orihime's heart began racing, fearing the worst.

The red glow disappeared, surprising everyone involved. Cerberus lowered his head, letting Anna down. She slowly walked towards the group, a sinister smile crossed her dark red lips. "Surely you didn't think, I wouldn't account for your brand of treachery, Urahara Kisuke."

A low rumble could be heard from the east, one of the traps pillars had fallen. 'No, Kanonji-San was there! Who took them down? Just what is hapeneing?"

"Now then, I believe it's my turn." Anna took out her zanpakuto, taking a breath and smiling gently. "Rearrange, Soburinsutā"


	22. Sleep, Warrior

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Happy Anniversary! On this day a year ago I posted the first chapter of this fic, and today we're at the halfway point! I want to thank you all for reading this fic for so long and for all your comments. It really means the world to me. I'll be posting the first chapter of the prequel next week. Once again. Thanks for all your support and encouragement. Love you guys. Hope you enjoy! 😘
> 
> © Bleach and it's characters don't belong to me. They belong to Shounen Jump and Tite Kubo. Only Anna, Shizuka, Cerberus and Jeanne belong to me

 

**Chapter 22: Sleep, Warrior**

According to the laws of thermodynamics, matter cannot be created nor destroyed, it could only be transformed. As such, whenever Anna used her shikai, she could change her solid state to gas, or to liquid, and what better way to use that power than under the pouring rain.

"Keep your guards up, she could be anywhere," Urahara told them. As if on cue, Ulquiorra felt a deep cut on his shoulder, the same thing happened to Yoruichi.

"Soten Kisshun, I reject!" Orihime's Rikka covered them both with a shield as she healed the injuries. Taking the opportunity, Ulquiorra used his Pesquisa ability to spot Anna. She was looming near Urahara as a ghost of mist.

"Urahara, behind you!" He warned the man, who quickly turned around and grabbed Anna's katana with his bare hands.

"It's not nice to sneak up on people." He told her with his usual goofy grin.

"Funny since you were going to try the same thing with me."

Isshin was about to sneak up behind Anna, but he was blocked by Cerberus, who tossed him away with his paw.

'I didn't think she'd create him with the ability to use sonido.' While Ulquiorra was aware that Anna's hollows were usually very advanced, this prototype seemed to be even more powerful than her usual creations.

His wounds had healed and so had Yoruichi's. So they returned to the battlefield. "Shihonin-San, the move Cerberus just executed shouldn't be easy for a hollow of his caliber. Do you think Anna might've done something unusual?"

The shinigami nodded. "Yes, Kisuke and I were just discussing that. A three-headed Cerberus might be too heavy to execute a proper sonido, but if you were to break said hollow into three separate parts then it might be plausible."

"Then it is just as I suspected. There are two more of those things running around town."

* * *

Ichigo almost felt like fainting when he arrived at the Urahara Shop. Kannoji, Chizuru and Keigo were all being patched up by Tessai, he was being assisted by the mod souls, Jinta and Ururu. Tatsuki was sitting there waiting for them to heal with a worried expression on her face.

"What the hell happened?!" Ichigo couldn't contain his voice.

He didn't have time to think, as he felt Tatsuki holding onto him tightly. "Thank goodness you're ok!"

He returned the hug. "I'm fine. I was home with the girls and Shizuka warned me to bring them here."

"We were ambushed. The east pilar was taken down, Kannoji and the others got stabbed." Tatsuki explained.

"Was it Anna?"

She bit her lip, looking away from him. "No, it wasn't her."

"From what Arisawa-San has told me, it's safe to assume the attacker was fullbringer. Most likely Kugo Ginjo." Tessai answered since Tatsuki was unable to.

"No...No it can't be." Ichigo didn't want to believe it. "Why would he..."

The images of the karaoke party flashed through his mind.

'His sister, Mitsuru, the other fullbringers, he's going to get revenge by helping the enemy.' A cold sweat fell down his face and neck. To think that another person he had trusted would betray them like that.

He could hear Ginjo's voice in his head. 'Tell me if you wouldn't do the same...'

He punched the nearest wall, his frustration was enough to cause a dent. "Goddamit! Where are the others?!"

"The shinigami had to leave for the Vizards hideout. Since the trap fell apart they're planning to defeat Cerberus by combining forces."

Ichigo nodded, thinking about what to do. After some thought, he bent down to his sisters level. "I want you two to stay here with Tessai and Tatsuki. Don't leave for any reason at all. If anything strange happens, you all must run."

They both clung to him, their grip was so tight it almost broke through his jacket. "Ichi-nii, please don't go! We don't want you to get hurt!"

Yuzu was already in tears, and Karin's face was red and her eyes were watering. He wanted to stay, but he couldn't let Ginjo get away with this.

"I'm not going to get hurt. There's something I need to do, once I'm finished I'll be back. I promise." He dried their tears and kissed them both on the forehead.

Ichigo then turned to Tatsuki, she just stared at him, softly cupping his cheeks. "Don't do anything stupid."

He chuckled. "Not gonna punch me this time?"

"Don't push it." she gave him a peck on the lips and sent him away.

With a heavy heart and a mind full of questions, Ichigo stepped out of the shop. The rain was falling down harsh, soaking him completely as he disappeared into the night.

* * *

The first thing he saw when he woke up was some painfully bright lights, Chad slowly tried to lift himself up, his chest hurt a little as he moved.

"Seems like I was able to stop it in time." He heard Riruka's voice by his side. The young girl was wearing a coat and gloves that were covered in red.

"Why'd you save me?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure. Guess I just don't want to follow through with the plan if it means hurting you guys."

"...What about the others? Won't Ginjo be livid?"

Riruka swallowed hard at that. "Probably. I don't plan to be here when he comes back, in any case, I'm officially not a member of Xcution anymore."

Chad was at a loss for words, what could he tell her? That the rest of the fullbringers would forgive her? That was not likely given what he had seen tonight. "Then that means you're on our side now. And despite what has happened, I trust you."

Riruka nodded. "Thanks, I appreciate it."

"I'm going to help the others. Riruka I need to know what they're planning, or at least what Anna truly wants."

"The only instructions we received were to take down the pillars. Supposedly they would weaken Cerberus so she wanted them down, but not at the same time. That way the shinigami would be divided and she could go to what they considered to be the safe zone, taking them by surprise. I don't know anything else."

"I see. That settles it then, I'm heading out to help the others."

"Wait Sado, Your injuries are not fully healed!"

"Inoue-San can take care of that. I need to go help them, my power might not be enough, but we need all the strength we can get. Besides..."

"Shizuka might not be able to harm her sister." Riruka finished the sentence for him.

"Yeah. I'm heading out with the rest of the group. You need to decide whether you'll fight, or hide."

* * *

Despite the many hours she had spent training, it didn't compare to truly being in battle. Orihime kept her shields up, making sure that the battle didn't affect the buildings or the scenery. 'Urahara-San will likely have to erase the humans' memories either way.'

Cerberus was still looming over them like a gigantic shadow. Urahara, Isshin, and Yoruichi were keeping him at bay.

Ulquiorra was using his abilities to try and locate Anna, but there was no luck.

"Are we too late?" She heard Momo's voice and looked up to see her and the other shinigami, along with Uryu ready to fight.

"You're just in time! Whenever you're ready!" Shizuka gave the group a signal. Momo shielded everyone with kido, while Shizuka lifted her sword.

"Bankai, Joonome no Kozui!"

A large a wave crashed throughout the road, washing Cerberus away, Shizuka slowly drained it until it was merely a trail of water under their feet. Hitsugaya quickly sprung to action with his zanpakuto. "Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyorinmaru!" The remaining water was turned into a sheet of ice, except for one puddle. Anna quickly materialized back into her normal form.

"That was cold." she grinned. "I think Cerberus didn't like it either."

The gigantic hollow growled in disgust and began firing ceros in rapid succession. With the layer of ice beneath their feet and a crazed hollow attacking it was difficult for anyone to attack.

Orihime maintained the shields around the buildings and tried to make sure her friends were guarded as well, but the weight of it was wearing her down. She spotted Anna who was about to attack Hitsugaya with her zanpakuto, Orihime noticed that the previously silver blade was now glowing red.

"Hitsugaya-Kun!" She tried to warn him. The captain blocked the strike, and two engaged in combat. Hinamori fired a kido at Anna, hoping to catch her off guard.

That didn't happen, Anna caught the small bean of lighting and crushed it to bits with one hand, while she held off Toshiro with the other. "Hinamori-Chan while I am aware that your kido skills are far better than anyone else her present I don't think they'll be of much use. I have memorized all spells along with their counters and ways to destroy them. Maybe we could settle for simple sword fighting?"

The lieutenant looked angry, she quickly released her zanpakuto and got ready to fight. "Snap, Tobiume!"

Fireballs emerged from Momo's sword and crashed with Anna's, this time the red of her blade had turned transparent, almost like water.

'Maybe it changes depending on what she wants?' Ulquiorra had told her that Anna's shikai could use the laws of science to her advantage, drastically changing temperatures or states of matter wouldn't be too complicated. 'Then what can we throw at her? She'll just adapt!'

"Orihime-Chan, could you try and put a shield around us? this will be messy." Shizuka's request scared her, but she trusted her friend's plans.

With a wave of her hands she created a shield in the shape of a dome, it covered most of the area and kept them all locked in.

"Now!" Shizuka yelled.

Uryu, Rangiku, Gin and Rose all fired at Anna from different angles. The different colors of the zanpakutos attacks looked like a lethal rainbow, she was sure there was no way Anna could've avoided that attack.

She was right. Anna used flash step to avoid getting hit by everything, still, Orihime noticed blood running down her forehead.

"This isn't going to look pretty tomorrow," she muttered as she touched her forehead. The rest of the group tried to attack again, but Anna set up a kido shield.

"Should we try anything else?" she asked Shizuka, who shook her head.

"Leave it to the boys."

Kira used his zanpakuto on Anna's shield, which seemed to be going down as if to crush her. Before she could counteract it, Orihime saw Uryu using his power to absorb the energy of the shield, making it scatter to dust very quickly. When the shield vanished Ulquiorra fired a cero.

'Is it over?'

The inside of the dome was filled with smoke from the cero. She couldn't see Anna anywhere, but she was sure the attack hit her.

In an instant Orihime's dome shattered into a hundred tiny pieces. Cerberus had pressed his paw down on it until it cracked. The gigantic hollow let out a deafening roar, its eyes were glowing and she could see blood on its teeth.

'Did he get anyone?!' That was the first thing that came through her mind. A harsh pain wouldn't let her move, it was as if being pinned to the ground. Ulquiorra rushed towards her.

"Are you ok Orihime?"

"I'm fine, just a little tired."

Looking up she could see Anna standing atop Cerberus head.

"Ten against one seems a tad unfair, don't you think? It's about time I even the score."

Anna took a bit of blood from both her forehead and the wound the cero left on her left arm, she smeared it on her sword and smiled.

"Bankai! Soburinsuta, shakkuru no shibara rete inai!"

A pale blue glow blinded her for a moment, when she looked up again she saw Anna looking vastly different. Instead of her Arrancar uniform, she had a long dress resembling the nebulas and constellations of the night sky, her sword was now silver with a blue star on the hilt and she had sprouted two black feathered wings.

The dark elegance of the Bankai was contrasted with the surge of pressure in the air. It was getting hard to breath, and Orihime knew exactly who was to blame.

"Now then, who wants to try that again?"

* * *

Ichigo hadn't been able to make it in time. He arrived at the Vizards warehouse only to be greeted by silence, the inside was split into room's, just like when he trained. 'Yukio's fullbring'

Even now he was hoping the others were wrong, that all of this was a misunderstanding and the fullbringers weren't working with Anna, and that this would be all something they'd laugh about tomorrow.

"So, you finally decided to show up."

Ichigo turned around, Ginjo was leaning on the door frame, his expression completely calm.

"It's true, isn't it? Why did you do it Ginjo? Why would you turn against us?!"

"I have nothing against you or your friends, my enemy is the Soul Society. It's merely a tragic twist of fate that you remain on their side."

"What they did, it wasn't fair, but that doesn't mean you had to turn against the shinigami."

Ginjo rolled his eyes. "They've really got you wrapped around their finger, don't they? Tell me Kurosaki, do you really think they're sorry? That they've learned their lesson? They took down the quincy, the mod souls, the bounts, they almost eradicated the entirety of the fullbringers without any reason and you want me to stand by that?! I tried so damn hard to peacefully solve this, nothing was ever enough for them.

If everything must end in massacre then I will kill them all before they dare take anyone else..."

"You're not a bad man Ginjo, I'm truly trying to understand you and your reasons, really I am, but no part of me can agree with what you're saying. I have gone against their orders as well. When Inoue was taken away we were all ready to save her without them, in the end, they sent their captains to aid us and didn't give us any punishment. Maybe things have changed, and even if that does not erase their previous sins, it's a step forward."

Ginjo was silent, his calmness had been replaced with an aura of sadness. "You're a lot like Masaki. No matter what people do, she still wants to see the best in them. After all the shinigami did to her and her family she forgave them, even married one." He chuckled. "It didn't matter, because when she was shielding you from Grand Fisher none of those bastards showed up to help. They didn't even apologize to your father, or to you kids, for failing on the most basic part of their duty. That enough should be reason enough to deny them such blind forgiveness."

"What happened with mom will haunt me until I am no longer Ichigo Kurosaki. Still, that does not mean I'll let Anna get away with her scheme."

"Looks like I'm going to have to pry your eyes open!"

Ichigo almost didn't have time to block. Over time he'd been able to develop his fullbring. A black and white armor covered him from neck to toe, and he could use a dark sword, similar to Zangetsu.

"You haven't slacked off." Ginjo held his own sword, during training Ichigo could tell the man had a strong stance and relied mostly on strength rather than strategy. It yet was another similarity between them.

"I'm sorry. I wish I could've understood you."

"Likewise."

* * *

Ulquiorra held on tightly to Orihime's hand. She was breathing hard due to the sharp change in spiritual pressure but was fighting to keep the shields around the buildings intact.

"I feel better now. Thank you." she smiled. "Any idea on what her bankai does?"

"Not a clue. I had never seen it before."

Apparently, none of them had. He saw Urahara, Yoruichi and Isshin taking the lead now. 'They're the most likely to know.'

"Everyone, concentrate on Cerberus."

The shopkeeper's voice had taken an authoritive tone. The rest of the group remained cautious as they directed their attention towards Cerberus.

"I'll try to make him fall, maybe that can make it easier to subdue. What do you think?" Kira asked the group.

"It's worth a try, once he's down Shizuka could try to drown him and I'll freeze him to make sure he dies." Hitsugaya's eyes scanned the area. "Inoue, can you keep the shields up?"

Orihime nodded. "Yes. I'll keep them up, make sure Cerberus doesn't try to crush them again."

The captain smiled. "You got it. Schiffer keep her safe."

He didn't need to hear that twice. Thanks to the bond he could tell Orihime's power was returning, still stable enough to hold the shields.

"If you feel like you can't take it anymore, be sure tell me."

She smiled at him. "Don't worry, I'll make it through."

The plan was put into motion. He saw Kira and Toshiro approach the large hollow, only to be blocked by a seemingly invisible barrier.

"The puppy stays there until I say so. You're only objective right now. It's me." Anna told them firmly.

'Everyone, we have to attack together. Shiro-chan, use your Bankai to freeze Anna, when she breaks free Captain Otoribashi will use Kinshara to tie her. Izuru-kun try and make her weight increase by tenfold, Uryu-San and Ulquiorra-Kun you'll need to attack her. Whatever it's left to do, will fall into Urahara-San and the adults.'

Hinamori's voice echoed inside their minds. 'Sorry. I'm using a high-level kido. Please do be careful friends. I'll assist Orihime-San with the shields. Good luck!'

Having heard the lieutenant's message everyone got ready with their Bankai. Ulquiorra went into resurrection form but decided to hold back from using his second release. 'Anna does not know I have it, I should save it for when we are sure to win.'

A part of him didn't want to leave Orihime, he didn't want a repeat of what happened in their past life.

"I'll be fine. Go and win."

He gave her a kiss in the forehead. "I'll be back soon."

Ulquiorra took a second to memorize her smiled before taking off. Soon he was standing in the sky, along with the other shinigami.

He spotted Shizuka gripping her zanpakuto tightly. She looked at him, and nodded. Seemingly saying that no matter what she would fight.

Anna did not do anything and limited herself to wait for them to attack. Captain Hitsugaya attacked first, his ice didn't reach Anna, with a swing of her sword she managed to blow all of the ice away, just as the small captain was about to retaliate he saw Anna appear before him, and then everything went red.

A few drops of blood splattered on his cheek. Ulquiorra's eyes widened when he saw the small Captain's back slashed and bleeding.

'How did she do that?! Was it the Bankai?' He wondered.

Isshin quickly came to his aid, picking up the small Captain, as he shielded him with his body.

"What the hell happened to you?! Attacking a child!"

"That 'child' was the third seat under you for many years. You don't want kids fighting, don't give them positions on the military." Anna flicked her sword to clean the blood. "Now are you going to attack, or do I have to keep standing here like a manaquin?"

Isshin's anger was visible. He was about to strike, but Yoruichi stopped him. From the corner of his eye, he spotted Hinamori flash steping behind Anna with her Zanpakuto engulfed in flames.

Anna didn't bother to block her attack, and let the blade hit her, instead of being stabbed and burned, the attack didn't seem to cause any effect.

When the blade hit Anna he heard as if it had slammed into metal. Effectively Anna's skin now looked like it was made of a diamond-like material.

'Just what is this woman's Bankai?!'

Rose used his zanpakuto, the long golden whip chased Anna, but she evaded it expertly. Yoruichi engaged with her in hand to hand combat, but the two women were evenly matched, their speed and agility we're almost at the same level. Even the continuous fire that Hinamori threw at her seemed ineffective. None of the attacks touched her.

'It should be impossible for her to move with that diamond skin. Firing at her would be a waste of time, perhaps directing all our forces in an ambush would be the best choice...' Ulquiorra still wondered what to make of all this.

He noticed the others seemed to be thinking the same thing. Kisuke noded. "Izuru-San, go provide Inoue-San with support in case the shields go down, or if anyone else needs healing. Momo, Rose, and Yoruichi won't be able to hold her off forever. We need to find a weakness, or at the very least figure out her power." Urahara advised everyone.

Once again the frenzy began, this time they had to take her down as fast as possible.

Everything was hard to follow, due to the velocity of their opponent. Uryu fired a handfull of arrows at Anna, neither of them reached her, while she turned the arrows to ash Yoruichi tried to hit her from behind. The ex-captain was blocked with Anna's fist. Once again Momo, used her fire, this time Rangiku used her ashes to create a blinding effect. Gin used his Bankai to try and catch her off guard, the sword extended from the place he was standing, but it did not work.

In the midst of chaos Anna had used the blinding fire to tie Kinshara and Shinso together, the movement of the longsword along with the ships elastic nature caused a pendulum effect.

"As much as I dislike you, I think we're stuck together." Rose huffed. "Do you mind Ichimaru?"

"It's not like I want ya tied to me either!"

Anna chuckled. "Squad three quarrels, they were always fun to watch."

Yoruichi kept attacking her, and Anna kept blocking. The fire wasn't an issue anymore since she decided to turn Momo's attacks into ice, which engaged the lieutenant even more."

'Seems like I have to try taking shot at her.' With his arm extended and his fingers perfectly positioned, Ulquiorra prepared his cero.

"Cero Oscuras." The ray black and green light illuminated the night sky and made its way towards Anna. She didn't even look at it, holding up her hand in a stop motion. The second the cero came into contact with it, it was reflected.

Had it not been for Momo casting a kido shield in front of him, he would have been the one to take the hit.

"Thank you Hinamori." He said, still not out of his shock.

"No problem!" She smiled. "I won't let her get away with what she didn't to Shiro.

"Schiffer, I have an idea, but we need to get closer to her." Uryu told him.

"Very well."

They both waited above Anna and Yoruichi. Uryu observed for a moment trying to see how to put his plan into motion.

"I've made a spiritual pressure bomb around Anna's pressure. Yoruichi will try to push her into maximum capacity. The bomb will turn light blue, fire a cero right then, and Anna will be taken down.

As gruesome as that demise sounded, Ulquiorra knew it had to be done. Yoruichi went into Shunko mode, which required Anna to push herself harder. The specks of blue appeared soon enough, looking like little flames around the starry skirts of Anna's dress. Ulquiorra got ready. 'I am sorry, goodbye old friend. I'll always be grateful for the opportunity you gave me long ago.'

The events seemed to happen in slow motion. As he cero descended he saw Anna grab Yoruichi by the arm, breaking the bone hard enough to make her scream, then she tossed the tan woman aside. The little blue flames seemed to be absorbed by her dress as if they had never been there.

She didn't reflect this cero, but rather she crushed into a thousand dark green sparkles. The look she Ulquiorra was a mix of anger and disappointment.Her dark silence was worst that any insults she could muster. Again Momo tried to use kido on her, but Anna just broke through each of them.

"Lieutenant please, I've told you kido isn't going to do much against me. I do commend you greatly trying, particularly after hearing all about you."

Momo frowned. "I have no interest in knowing what he said about me. The man we knew is dead."

"Dead? No, that would imply said facade every existed. Aizen was never invested in this...Um, let's call it system, although it's too faulty to fit the proper definition." With a flick of her sword, Anna blew the young girl away, the harsh gust of wind even made the leaves of the town's trees fall down. "I'd rather not have to do what he did."

Yoruichi tried to attack again. Even with her broken arm, she could move very fast. Anna humored her, and then grabbed her by the neck.

'How? She didn't even move! Unless..." The gears in his head began turning. Ulquiorra analyzed every attack and ability Anna had used so far.

"Ishida-San, do you think it's possible Anna's Bankai allows her to go against the laws of science?"

Ishida pushed up his glasses. "Based on the fact that she's been able to move faster than the speed of light, moving her diamond limbs without a problem and even destroying matter as a whole, I believe it is a reasonable assumption."

'But how can somebody with no restraint be taken down?' He pondered.

***  
Izuru had caught Yoruichi upon her fall. Orihime was relieved that she was still alive, but her arm was broken and she had a wound on her neck.

"I'll heal her, is that ok?" Izuru asked.

"Of course. Hang on Yoruichi-San."

Izuru used medical kido to heal Yoruichi's wounds. 'That's what Captain Unohana's training for ya.' she thought.

She looked at Toshiro, he was bandaged beside Yoruichi, also covered by the healing kido.

'I know she could have killed them if she wanted to, but still...' Seeing her two friends injured like that was disheartening. 'No, stop, they'll be fine. We need to concentrate on Anna, and on Cerberus.

She glanced behind her to see the gigantic hollow sitting like a normal dog, wagging his tail and looking at his master fighting.

'If he wasn't a 50ft creepy hollow, I might think that's cute.' The invisible barrier between them and the hollow was still there. "What should we do if Anna breaks the barrier? Can we carry Yoruichi-San and Hitsugaya-Kun away?"

"If the barrier is broken then I will move us all to safety, but after that, we must return to hold him off."

"No problem!"

A groan distracted her. Toshiro was waking up. "Momo... Where's Momo?" he asked, looking around disoriented.

"Don't worry Captain Hitsugaya. Hinamori-San is holding her own against Anna."

Toshiro tried to sit up, but hissed in pain and fell backward. "I can't let Momo get hurt..." He whispered.

"She won't. You have to trust her Captain." Orihime told him as she used her power to ease his ache. "Trust in Hinamori-Chan."

The Captain nodded and went back to sleep. He looked just like a kid when he did that. 'Most of us, are still kids.' There was a loud rumble across the town. Orihime instinctively enforced her shield. She couldn't see anything other than a bunch of smoke and water running down the street.

"Saten Kesshun, I reject!" The golen glow of her shield appeared in front of them. 'I can't risk letting the injured take a hit.'

Another noise took place, in the distance she could see everyone fighting with Anna at the same time. It was surprising to know that Ulquiorra wasn't using his second form. 'He's probably trying to keep it secret.'

For a moment she got scared when Rangiku tried to get closer, Anna seemingly stopped her from moving. "I'm not going to fight a pregnant woman." She then built a bubble around Rangiku. "Now Matsumoto-San, stay there until everything's done."

Orihime almost didn't see Gin's blade coming at Anna at full speed. Anna used her wings to block all the hits, all along with the rain of arrows and cero's that Ulquiorra and Uryu unleashed.

'Everyone! This is Momo, Ulquiorra-San and Ishida-san seem to think that Anna's Bankai can break the laws of science. We need a way to counter it, any ideas?'

Momo's voice echoed inside their heads. Orihime tried to think, but from what they'd observed kido wouldn't do much against her. Urahara could have tricks of his sleeve, but it wasn't likely he'd used them until victory was assured.

'I got it! Everyone, I will try something, but I need Anna to stay still.'

'I'll try to get her to stay still. Be ready Orihime-Chan!' She heard Gin's voice. 'Ulquiorra, keep an eye from the sky in case we need back up.'

She prepared herself. Seeing Anna and Gin, coming closer towards there. He continued to use his Bankai trying to hit Anna who constantly evaded the blade.

Finally, she had made a mistake, Gin immediately used his sword to try and take her down, as Anna was right in his range. It didn't work.

Anna grinned, having planned this from the beginning. Just as Gin's zanpakuto was about to pierce her back Anna turned around, creating a blue circle in her hands, the zanpakuto stabbed the circle seemingly going through it.

'A portal! Where's the other?! Orihime frantically tried to spot a second portal, it wasn't near Gin or Anna, and she couldn't see anything in the sky.

"Kira-Kun where do you think the other portal cou-"

A scream threatened to escape her throat, beside her Kira was kneeling trembling in pain, as a small orange portal behind him had produced the rest of the zanpakuto and pierced him through the chest.

A few seconds later the sword and portal disappeared. Orihime quickly pulled him towards her and began healing him.

"Izuru!" Both Momo and Rose were near tears and rushing towards Kira. They both abruptly stopped, hearing the barrier behind Inoue and Kira shatter.

Cerberus roared, Immediately trying to crush her and the others with his paw. Before anything else could happen, she felt Hinamori's hand on her shoulder. In the blink of an eye, the group was sitting on the roof of a skyscraper.

"Hinamori-San?" Orihime muttered. The young lieutenant was exhausted after teleporting them away.

"It's okay. I just need a breather. How are the others?"

"Hitsugaya-kun, woke up a while ago but needs more rest. Yoruichi-san is stable and I managed to seal Kira-kun's wound but he lost a lot of blood.".

Momo nodded. "I shall back up the shields further. I believe it would be best for then others if you join them in battle."

Orihime hesitated, she wanted to fight even if the others weren't sure she should. However the shields were of utmost importance so she couldn't risk them going down. One of Jeanne's lessons came to mind 'You need to use both your defensive and offensive techniques. Block too much and you'll never hurt your enemy. Attack without blocking and you'll get hurt before even trying.'

"I guess I should."

"That's good to hear, need someone to carry you?" She turned around to see Ulquiorra waiting for her. Orihime smiled and hugged him. "I would love that. Let's go Ulquiorra!"

He smiled and carried her away. Orihime had her hands wrapped around his neck, Ulquiorra talked to her as they flew.

"Gin and Isshin are chasing Cerberus. Otoribashi and Shizuka are going to help us go against Anna. Urahara is coming up with a way to defeat her."

"Ok! I was thinking maybe we could try the reverse healing? That would negate the effects of her powers even if it was for a while."

"Sounds like a good plan. We'll need to do soon, Anna seems to be on the move towards the Vizards warehouse.

'Why would she go there?' The answer became clear when Orihime felt a familiar spiritual pressure nearby. 'Ichigo...'

* * *

Every time the blades clashed Sparks would fly all over the room. Spending so much time away from the battle was beginning to take its toll. Ichigo didn't know how much he could last.

One of the white walls shattered. Revealing an unconscious Giriko and a tired Hachigen. The pink haired Vizard bowed towards his enemy before looking at Ichigo and Ginjo. The moment didn't last, all of the other walls shattered. Yukio had been taken down by Mashiro, Love, and Hiyori. The only two matches that were still ongoing were Jackie's and Lisa's along with his fight with Ginjo.

"Hachi, you and the others go help Tessai..." Ichigo told him.

The kiddo master nodded. Teleporting everyone away in a matter of seconds.  
The fighters were the only ones left.

"Well stringbean, it's just you and me. Don't get your head cracked." Lisa told him before resuming the fight with Jackie.

He concentrated in his own battle. Ginjo still had the upper hand, and was soon overpowering with his strikes, leaving him no other choice but to use his limbs to block. The black armor of his fullbring kept him safe but it was beginning to crack.

"Bankai."

Upon hearing that word Ichigo froze with panic. Ginjo's appearance had changed. His armor looked like it was adorned with bones and onyx, his hair had turned white and his eyes a dark red color.

Again the clash was resumed. This time Ichigo could not keep up, as hard as he tried. It was only a matter of time until Kugo overpowered him. Ichigo groaned as he hit the ground, Ginjo placed his foot over his chest, making sure that he wouldn't be able to stand.

"I really wish I wouldn't have to do this." He told him as he readied the sword. "You were a good kid, it's a shame they got to you."

He could see Lisa trying to get to him, but an invisible barrier kept her from doing so. 'It must be kido'

Ichigo coughed up blood, in an effort to speak. "You're not a bad person, but pain is blinding you Ginjo. You don't have to do this."

"Pain? Do not try to tell me about pain until you're forced to mercy kill your sister!" He told him.

Just as the blade was about to fall down, he saw Ginjo get tacked by someone else. As he sat up Ichgo saw Riruka standing up, ready to fight.

"You?! How dare you Riruka?! After all we've done for you!" He was angry before, but now Ginjo looked livid. "You're going to pay!"

"I won't let you hurt them! They were our friends Ginjo, members of our family and you wanted to betray them!"

The pink haired girl rushed towards Ginjo with an object resembling a gun. As the two clashed, he realized it was something akin to an energy blast gun.

Riruka broke the barrier that had Lisa and Jackie trapped. The vizard girl rushed towards Ichigo, chanting healing kido spells. Jackie tried to attack but Lisa seemed to have sensed her before she could do anything. With a swift swing of her zanpakuto she had taken down the fullbringer.

Ginjo abandoned his fight with Riruka to go aid Jackie. Ichigo and Riruka both tried to stop him, but he broke their weapons with one swing, even scarring Riruka's forehead in the process.

Ichigo grabbed her by the waist, making sure she wouldn't get hurt on the fall. The pair was evenly matched, from what he could see, Ginjo's rage wasn't helping his abilities, he noticed when the fullbringer miss calculated the distance and Lisa noticed as well.

He could have sworn he saw the blade pierce someone, but it wasn't Ginjo. Ichigo gasped when he noticed who it was, there was no mistaking those icy blue eyes or the long wavy hair.

"Anna." Ginjo was about to say something but she slienced him.

"Quiet pudgy! Just take care of the others and do as I told you." She said, with a snap of her fingers she teleported all of the fullbringers away.

"Now that that's outta the way, I'm going to have to deal with you." Anna muttered. Ichigo didn't even notice when Anna slashed Lisa, it was as if she had not moved. He quickly picked up Riruka and ran towards the exit. He was not expecting what he saw outside.

"Dad?"

* * *

Isshin and Gin were keeping Cerberus from damaging the city. Ulquiorra and Orihime arrived at the scene as well, finally, she made it on time with Rose and Uryu following her.

"Remember the plan." Her captain told her.

"Yes, Captain." Shizuka breathed in, the moment Anna came out of the warehouse she released her Bankai. "Joonome no Kozui !" The wave came crashing down from the heavens, Orihime had already protected the area from being damaged. Shizuka dived into the wave, it took the shape of a tunnel. At the middle of it, Anna stood completely unaffected, as if she knew what Shizuka was going do.

"Onee-San." She couldn't keep her voice, from cracking as she saw her sister standing there.

Anna's face softened, no longer angry or apathetic. She smiled and walked towards Shziuka. "You became a really pretty woman," she said before hugging her.

That did it. Shizuka began to cry. "Why didn't you take me with you!? Why didn't you tell me you were ok?"

"Had I taken you with me you would been branded a traitor, despite still being a small child. I would have given you the choice to join me later in life, but nobody could know I was alive, not even you and Asami-kun. I'm sorry sweetie, for what it's worth I think you've become a great shinigami. You even got your Bankai! That's far better than being stuck with your grumpy elder sister on a pocket dimension."

Shziuka hugged her tightly. "Back then, I would have chosen you... I missed you so much."

"Me too, sweetie. So very much." Anna gave her a kiss on the forehead and smiled. "Things are different now, however, and you can't afford to lose the happiness you've found here. I'll see you when it's all over."

Before she could ask Anna what she meant, the older shinigami pushed her away. The only thing she could see before falling off the water tunnel was her sister's face as she silently said 'I love you.'

Shizuka braced herself for impact, but it didn't come. A pair of familiar strong arms held her up protectively.

"Chad!" She smiled at her friend.

Chad smiled back. "It's good to see you're doing fine. I'm glad I made it in time."

She wrapped her arms around his neck, nuzzling onto his chest. Underneath his shirt, she could feel bandages. 'His heartbeat is racing... Was he worried about me?'

The plan continued as they established it. After Shizuka was out of the tunnel, Rose used ice Kido to freeze the water solid. Uryu and Gin took care of breaking the ice to pieces. At last, it looked like it was over.

'It's not, she's still here.'

After the ice melted many drops of water reconnected. Forming Anna once again. She held onto Gin's sword, making a dark inky liquid rapidly consume it. Gin let go of his sword but it had been too late. The poison had affected him.

Orihime rushed to his side and began healing him. She saw Anna charging a cero in her hands. On instinct, she leaped in front of Orihime to protect her.

The blast didn't reach them, Chad had countered it with his fullbring.

"That was unexpected. Seems like I'll have to take you down too." Anna said. "Sorry sis."

* * *

The threat didn't faze him. Chad and Shizuka continued to attack. Anna's attacks were countered by his fullbring, while Shizuka tried to use kido in order to trap Anna.

The cycle went on for a while. Even Shziuka's Bankai, and the intervention from Rose and Isshin wasn't enough to finish her off.

Anna looked at Cerberus, nodding slowly and raising her hand. "Now!"

Chad felt as if an invisible force was dragging him and the others into the sky. 'There is no gravity.' He concluded.

Cerberus opened his mouth, the fullbringer feared as if the best would swallow them all whole. That did not happen, instead, the hollow sucked up the spiritual pressure from those who were present. He could feel his body being drained of energy. 'What to do? If she takes it all, there'll be nobody left to stop her!'

"Chad." He heard Shziuka's tired voice whispering his name. "Try to fire at his mouth. It must be the weak spot."

He did as Shizuka told him getting his arm ready to aim "El Directo!"

His aim was perfect, Cerberus made a choking noise, and seemed to have cracked.

"What?!" Anna looked angry. She abruptly made gravity return to them, but Shizuka quickly used her kido to make a squishy safe surface for them to land on.

"Thanks, Chad!" She smiled. "You did great."

"I should be thanking you, for figuring out what to do."

Chad scanned the area. From what he could observe Isshin and Uryu had been taken down, Rose was still concious but weakened. Ulquiorra and Orihime were unaffected and ready to fight.

'Its down to the four of us' Chad saw his friends get into possition. This would be the final round.

* * *

Ulquiorra created the lanza de relampago as quick as possible. He said Orihime using her reverse healing on Cerberus. When he looked damaged enough, he fired. The gigantic hollow was shattered into a thousand pieces. When he disappeared a small pup emerged from the remains and ran towards Anna.

She bent down and allowed the pup to leave through a portal. "If you stand down. I will not kill you."

"Not a chance." They told her.

"I've already told you. I have no intention of destroying the city."

"That's not why we are fighting you." He told her, creating another spear. "We are fighting because you hurt our friends."

Ulquiorra and Shizuka both rushed towards Anna with their weapons in hand. The ensuing sword fight had been tedious to endure, as Anna did handle herself well with two opponents.

From the sidelines Chad would fire at her, Ulquiorra and Shizuka expertly evaded the shots, but so did Anna.

When they began to overwhelm her she used her power to turn into both boiling water and ice, trapping Shizuka's zanpakuto with her touch. Shizuka tried to yank it away, but when she did Anna used electricity to blow her away and knock her out.

"Three to go." She told Ulquiorra with a devious grin. "Last warning."

"I won't yield."

"Then perish."

Again she tried to use electricity to attack, but Ulquiorra made sure to counter it with his spiritual pressure.

The increase of pressure almost choked him, he endured it knocking Anna away a few feet with his next move.

'There's no time. What shall we do?'

Chad had come charging at her with both his powers. The combination of attacks kept her distracted for a while.

'He's buying us time...' Ulquiorra thought, moving towards Orihime.

"We have one shot. What shall we do?" He asked.

"The bond is our best bet. We could both use our swords against her. When she's overwhelmed then we fire a cero with reverse power. That could render her Bankai useless for a while."

"Good idea."

Just as they agreed on the plan. Ulquiorra saw Chad's unconscious body being swung in their direction.

"Two left to go."

Orihime held onto him. As they executed the plan, their swords both swung left and right, keeping Anna on her toes.

Everything went as they predicted. She was going to get tired, then he heard her say dark matter. His eyes widened at those words. He pushed Orihime away as the black ooze enveloped him.

"Ulquiorra!!!" That scream would be engraved in his mind until the day he ceased to be Ulquiorra Schiffer.

"One left."

"Wrong. You may have taken my first form, but it is not the only one I possess."

"No...it can't be.."

* * *

Ulquiorra grinned as he emerged from the dark cloud with his second resurrecion. "Woman now!"

Orihime held onto him. Their blades were combined into a black spear with hints of green and wrapped in a gold. They had to fight a little more. Orihime could hear the directions in her mind. 'left, right, strike, use more force, back up, block, left, another strike...'

It was as if she and Ulquiorra were a single being.

At last, the perfect moment to strike came through. They both smiled. All of the strength they could muster was used for that attack, leaning forward as hard as they could and feeling the blade pierce Anna.

"Finally." Orihime sighed.

"Ulquiorra! Orihime!" Shizuka and Chad were waking up. Relived to see that they and won.

Anna was on her knees. Her Galaxy dress was covered in red along with her gloves and face. She tried to stand up, but as she did so the group saw a sword pierce her heart.

Orihime had to swallow hard. Ulquiorra's face remained unreadable and Chad had covered Shizuka's eyes and pulled her close to him so that she wouldn't have to see.

Behind Anna stood Urahara, who had crept up from behind her, unnoticed by everyone else.

"Why do you always have to be the one to stab me in the back, Kisu-Kun?' Anna didn't sound angry, just disappointed.

"I warned you years ago, you brought this on yourself."

"...This? This is nothing. I meant what you did before...You told Akito where I was! That's how he found me, that's how he almost killed me!"

Orihime was still stuck in disbelief. She still had Anna's memories in her mind. 'So it was Urahara-San...' it hurt her head to process this.

"You had your chance to choose, you chose to stand against us. Now you'll die."

A psychotic laugh left Anna's lips. "Die? Perhaps, but there's also a possibility of life." Anna spit up blood before talking again. This time, however, she smiled. "Tell me Kisuke, are you familiar with Schrodinger's Cat? The feline who is placed in a closed box and until said box is opened again the feline is both dead and alive? Well, if you combine said paradox with the twin lotus kido, you can be both dead and alive as well."

"No.." The realization hit Kisuke harshly. Orihime had never seen him so distraught.

Anna took one of her gloves off, the skin under it was perfectly pale, without any burns. "I am not Anna Maria. I'm her kido mirage. You have all been fighting a copy this whole time. When I die, my strength will go back to her, and she'll be able to complete her true goal."

The mirage stood and smiled. "You have lost." Were her last words before fading away like smoke.

'If she's not here...then what was her true aim?'

A loud alarm startled them all. Shizuka picked up her phone and opened it. It was shining red and sounding an alarm.

"Attention to all soul reapers of the thirteen court guard squads! The eight level of the underground prison is under attack! I repeat, Muken is under attack!"

* * *

The sirens rang, but the thumping in his ears exceeded the noise. Aizen felt the familiar pressure approaching. The door to his cell was blown to bits revealing the face of the person he longed to see.

"Hello my lord!" Anna smiled as she walked into the cell.

"Ah, my dearest queen. How I have missed you." She walked over to him, placing her hand on every seal he had and effortlessly ripping them all open. At last after two months he could stand.

His state was very weakened, but that didn't matter, Anna held onto his hand passing strength onto him through their ribbon bond.

"We must go."

They ran out of the cell hand in hand. Outside he saw a Cerberus holding off the guards. A swarm of them kept coming trying to corner the couple.

Anna smiled at him, and Sosuke returned the gesture. Just a small increase in pressure was enough to turn those running man into unconscious bloody obstacles. They ran as fast as the could finally arriving at a portal. Upon crossing, along with a defeated puppy Cerberus, Anna sealed the portal keeping them in their pocket dimension safe from harm.

The pup ran off, leaving them in silence. Anna turned towards him with her gaze down. "I know you hate it when I make rash decisions but I had to ge-"

Sosuke didn't let her finish as he passionately pressed his lips against hers. Anna was surprised but eagerly returned the kiss. Afterward, he hugged her close. "You're all I ever thought about when I was inside that cell." Her eyes watered, and he wiped her tears.

Another kiss followed, and the lustful frenzy continued until they were both laying half-asleep in their bed. He caressed her sleeping face. Anna blinked a few times and smiled. "How long have you been looking at me?"

"A while. I thought I would never get to see you again, to kiss you, to touch you, to take you, but as long as you were alive it would be enough to keep me at peace."

She giggled."I wasn't going to leave you there alone. I'm sorry it took so long. But I have good news."

"Hmm? What might those be?"

"Hanabira-senpai...she left us something to continue the fight. I've had it for a while, but was ordered to keep it secret until we absolutely needed it."

The mention of his mother made his heartache, although the idea of her leaving something behind did pique his curiosity. "Very well, What did she leave us?"

"Her bones...Since she was once a member of the royal guard they can be used to make an Oken."

For the first time in months, he felt genuine shock. His mother had left them the very key to the Soul realm. This time there'd be no need for a war, or for arrancars. "We will be able to kill the Soul King," he said with a vicious smile.

* * *

"Her plan this whole time wasn't to destroy Karakura...all she wanted was to free Aizen from prison."Shizuka sighed falling to her knees. "It should have been obvious, she wanted our attention here, and the prison unprotected...."

Orihime felt like crying. All of this work had been for naught, the wounds and the bruised were just marks of their failure. Suddenly she felt dizzy and noticed her friends were all getting knocked down one by one.

"Orihime..." Ulquiorra's voice was heavy. She held onto him as they slowly sat down on the floor. He placed his head on her lap, curling up to her like a pet. "We need to sleep," he said.

"Yes. We're going to sleep." she answered him. Orihime took one last look at the city before blacking out. Her friends were scattered and the road was a little messy, worst of all

There was blood everywhere.

 


End file.
